APOLLO MISSION CONTROL PHOTO PLUS

White Sand Missile Range - 7 November 1960

Pad Abort Test 1 was a mission to investigate the effects on the Apollo spacecraft during an abort from the pad. The Launch Escape System (LES) had to be capable of pulling the spacecraft away from a possibly exploding rocket while it sat it on the pad. It then had to be able to gain enough altitude to allow the parachutes to open and preferably have the spacecraft over water where the Apollo spacecraft was designed to land.

The flight featured a production model LES and a boilerplate (BP-6) Apollo spacecraft, the first mission to feature one. Inside the spacecraft there were no measuring instruments for structural loads as these measurements would be of little use seeing that the boilerplate did not fully represent a real spacecraft.

An abort signal was sent to the LES at 09:00:01 local time. This initiated a sequence where the main solid rockets fired to move the spacecraft craft and smaller attitude rockets fired so that the spacecraft moved laterally towards the ocean when at the Cape.

The LES separated after fifteen seconds with the spacecraft now on a ballistic trajectory. The parachute system worked perfectly with the drogue chute stabilizing the spacecraft, followed by the three main parachutes that slowed the descent to a leisurely 26 kilometres per hour.

The only problems found in the whole flight were that the LES rockets had left a soot deposit on the spacecraft exterior, and that the stability of the spacecraft was less than predicted.

SOLD

PA-1 Boilerplate #6 Arrives At White Plaines

10 x 8 Colour Glossy NASA Photograph

13 May 1964

The Little Joe II A-001 Aft body sections is being loaded on a flat bed carrier that will take it to the Apollo-Little Joe II launch pad for construction with the Fore Sections and other Little Joe II components for the A-001 mission.

This fine vintage NASA glossy photograph is in near mint condition and printed on heavy 'A Kodak Paper'.

SOLD

Boilerplate #6 Erection At White Plaines

10 x 8 Black & White Glossy Photograph

NASA No. 63-Apollo-200

7 November 1963

The Apollo Boilerplate #6 is being prepared for erection at White Plaines Missile Range, New Mexico.

This fine 1979 NASA glossy reissue is in very good condition. With the original round purple NASA logo and text on the back.

SOLD

Launch Escape Tower Mating

10 x 8 Black & White Glossy Photograph

NASA No. 63-Apollo-196

7 November 1963

The Apollo Mission Pad Abort Test #1 launch escape tower is being prepared for mating to the Apollo Boilerplate #6 for launching at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

This fine 1979 NASA glossy reissue is in very good condition. BUT unfortunately it has a crease down the right hand side. Not all that noticeable but there never the less.

SOLD

Boilerplate #6 & Escape Tower Mated

10 x 8 Black & White Glossy Photograph

NASA No. 63-Apollo-198

7 November 1963

The Apollo Boilerplate #6 and escape tower mated and being made ready for launch at White Plaines Missile Range, New Mexico.

This fine 1979 NASA glossy reissue is in very good condition. With the original round purple NASA logo and text on the back.

SOLD

Boilerplate #6 & Escape Tower Mated #2

10 x 8 Black & White Glossy Photograph

NASA No. 63-Apollo-206

7 November 1963

The Apollo Boilerplate #6 and escape tower mated and being made ready for launch at White Plaines Missile Range, New Mexico.

This fine 1979 NASA glossy reissue is in very good condition. With the original round purple NASA logo and text on the back.

SOLD

Apollo Boilerplate & Escape System Test

Pad Abort Test - PA #1

This was the first phase of testing of hardware to land man on the Moon and the first test of the Apollo spacecraft.

10 x 8 Colour NASA Glossy Photograph

NASA No. S-63-13884

7 November 1963

A wonderful view, with the mountains in the background, of a Apollo Boilerplate #6 and Escape Tower at White Sand Missile Range. These test flights were to qualify the stability and operational aspects of the Apollo escape configuration.

This fine vintage NASA glossy photograph is very good condition. Printed on heavy 'A Kodak Paper'

£9.95

Apollo Boilerplate & Escape System Test
Pad Abort Test - PA #1

10 x 8 B/W NASA Glossy Photograph

NASA No. 63-Apollo-219

7 November 1963

This fine vintage NASA glossy photograph is very good condition, near mint.

£15.95

Apollo Boilerplate #6 Abort Test

10 x 8 Colour Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. S-64-4083

7 November 1963

The Boilerplate #6 lifts from its launch pad at 9 a.m. the first Apollo Hardware test is under way.

This fine vintage NASA glossy photograph is in very good condition and printed on heavy 'A Kodak Paper'.

SOLD

Pad Abort Test #1 Lift Off

10 x 8 Black & White Glossy Photograph

NASA No. 63-Apollo-221

7 November 1963

The Boilerplate #6 lifts from its launch pad at 9 a.m. the first Apollo Hardware test is under way.

This fine 1979 NASA glossy reissue is in very good condition. With the original round purple NASA logo and text on the back.

£6.95

Pad Abort Test #1 Landing

10 x 8 Black & White Glossy Photograph

NASA No. 63-Apollo-229

7 November 1963

The three ring sail parachutes are seen opening to bring the Boilerplate #6 safely back to earth. You can see the escape tower heading down to earth in the top right of the photograph.

This fine 1979 NASA glossy reissue is in very good condition. With the original round purple NASA logo and text on the back.

SOLD

Boilerplate #6 Escape System Test

Pad Abort Test - PA #1

This was the first phase of testing of hardware to land man on the Moon and the first test of the Apollo spacecraft.

10 x 8 B/W NASA Glossy Photograph

NASA No. 63-Apollo-222

7 November 1963

The Apollo Boilerplate #6 Escape System Test is seen in the final moments as the Boilerplate lands 5,193 feet from the launch point in perfect condition. This test was logged as a success.

This fine vintage NASA glossy photograph is very good condition.

SOLD

PA-1 Boilerplate #6 Recovery

10 x 8 Black & White Glossy Photograph

NASA No. 63-Apollo-227

7 November 1963

The Apollo boilerplate #6 lands safely in the New Mexico desert after a successful on-the-pad-abort-test. The spacecraft was lifted to 5,193 feet in 16 seconds by the escape solid fuel motor, landing 4,657 feet from the launch pad.

This fine 1979 NASA glossy reissue is in very good condition. With the original round purple NASA logo and text on the back.

SOLD

PA-1 Boilerplate #6 Recovery #2

10 x 8 Black & White Glossy Photograph

NASA No. 63-Apollo-228

7 November 1963

This fine 1979 NASA glossy reissue is in very good condition. With the original round purple NASA logo and text on the back.

SOLD

PA-1 Boilerplate #6 Recovery #3

10 x 8 Black & White Glossy Photograph

NASA No. 63-Apollo-231

7 November 1963

This fine 1979 NASA glossy reissue is in very good condition. With the original round purple NASA logo and text on the back.

SOLD

PA-1 Boilerplate #6 Recovery #4

10 x 8 Colour Glossy NASA Photograph

7 November 1963

This fine vintage NASA glossy photograph is in near mint condition and printed on heavy 'A Kodak Paper'.

SOLD

PA-1 Escape System Recovery

10 x 8 Colour Glossy NASA Photograph

7 November 1963

The Little Joe II A-001 Escape System is seen being collected and loaded on a flat bed truck.

This fine vintage NASA glossy photograph is in near mint condition and printed on heavy 'A Kodak Paper'.

Let me know what you think !