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Liftoff of Apollo 7 |
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It's 11:02 A.M. on October 11th of 1968. After the tragic fire that scrubbed Apollo 1, the first manned Apollo
mission launches from Complex 34. A Saturn IB rocket (SA-205), carrying a spacecraft (CSM-101, a
Command Module and Service Module), and three astronauts rises from the pad, bound for earth orbit.
Since there is no Lunar Module carried on this mission, the newer, more powerful Saturn V rocket is
not needed.
On board are Walter Schirra, Jr, Donn F. Eisele, and Walter Cunningham.
On October
22, after 163 orbits of the earth, Apollo 7 will
splash down in the Atlantic Ocean. The mission is successful, and paves the way for Apollo 8 (the first circumlunar mission).
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Photo courtesy of NASA (Photo ID: KSC-68PC-197).
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