Saturn I SA-5

Saturn I SA-5
Wernher von Braun and John F. Kennedy with a model of the SA-5 vehicle on November 16, 1963, 2 months prior to launch
Mission typeTest flight
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID1964-005A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.744
Mission duration791 days[citation needed]
Distance travelled519,463,719 kilometers (280,487,969 nmi)
Orbits completed~12,000
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeJupiter nosecone and ballast
Launch mass17,600 kilograms (38,700 lb)[citation needed]
Start of mission
Launch dateJanuary 29, 1964, 16:25:01 (1964-01-29UTC16:25:01Z) UTC
RocketSaturn I SA-5
Launch siteCape Kennedy LC-37B
End of mission
Decay dateApril 30, 1966 (1966-05-01)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude258 kilometers (139 nmi)
Apogee altitude741 kilometers (400 nmi)
Inclination31.4 degrees
Period94.61 minutes
Epoch3 March 1964[1]
Project Apollo
Uncrewed tests

Saturn-Apollo 5 (SA-5) was the first launch of the Block II Saturn I rocket and was part of the Apollo program. In 1963, President Kennedy identified this launch as the one which would place US lift capability ahead of the Soviets, after being behind for more than six years since Sputnik.[2]

  1. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  2. ^ "JFK Speech at Brooks AFB, 21Nov63 (video, on the last full day of his life)". YouTube.