Apollo 7

Apollo 7 was the first manned mission in the Apollo program to be launched. It was an eleven-day earth-orbital mission, the first manned launch of the Saturn 1-B launch vehicle, and the first three-man American space mission. Goals for the mission included the first live television broadcast from orbit and testing the lunar module docking maneuver.

Launched: October 11, 1968 16:02:45 UT from Pad 34

Returned: October 22, 1968 11:11:48 UT (retrieved by the U.S.S. Essex)

Crew members: Wally Schirra (commander), Donn Eisele (senior pilot) and Walter Cunningham (pilot).

For nearly 30 years the Apollo 7 module was on loan (renewable every two years) to the National Museum of Science and Technology of Canada, in Ottawa, along with the space suit worn by Wally Schirra. In November 2003 the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. said it wanted them back, presumably to put into the new Smithsonian annex at Dulles International.

Preceded by : Apollo 1

Apollo program

Followed by : Apollo 8

External Link

• Apollo 7 entry in Encyclopedia Astronautica