“Pad Abort Test-1 (Apollo)” - the 6th launch under the Apollo program , the 1st launch to test the emergency rescue system (CAC) without a launch vehicle, took place on November 7, 1963 .
| Pad Abort Test-1 (Apollo) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Ship flight data | |
| Ship name | PA-1 (Apollo) |
| Launch pad | Polygon White Sands |
| Launch | November 7, 1963 16:00:01 UTC |
| Ship landing | November 7, 1963 16:02:46 UTC |
| Flight duration | 2 min 45.1 sec |
| Apogee | 2.82 km |
| Weight | kg |
| Crew flight data | |
| Associated Expeditions | |
Content
- 1 Background
- 2 start
- 3 photos
- 4 Optional
- 5 notes
Background
It was planned to test the engines of the emergency rescue system (CAC) and the parachute landing system of the Apollo spacecraft. The emergency rescue system should separate the command module from the emergency rocket, take it to a height sufficient to open the parachutes and take it to the side so that it splashes into the ocean (when starting from Cape Canaveral). To move the command module to the side, an additional engine was placed at the top of the CAC.
It was planned to check the compatibility of the standard CAC and the cardboard layout of the command module of the Apollo ship. It did not have equipment for measuring dynamic loads on the structure, since the layout was overall weight and was very different from a real ship.
Start
On November 7, 1963 at 9:00:01 local time, a command was given to turn on the CAC. She launched the system’s operation algorithm, solid-fuel engines worked, and in fifteen seconds they took the spacecraft from the launch site along the ballistic trajectory in the desired direction (on Cape Canaveral - towards the ocean). The parachute system worked normally: first the parachute released, stabilizing the command module, then three main parachutes, which extinguished the vertical speed to 26 km / h (about 7 m / s).
After the launch, two problems were discovered: CAC engines heavily flooded the outer surface of the command module, and its aerodynamic stability was less than calculated.