 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 type | Test flight |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1964-005A |
| SATCAT no. | 744 |
| Mission duration | 791 days[citation needed] |
| Distance travelled | 519,463,719 kilometers (280,487,969 nmi) |
| Orbits completed | ~12,000 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Jupiter nosecone and ballast |
| Launch mass | 17,600 kilograms (38,700 lb)[citation needed] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | January 29, 1964, 16:25:01 UTC |
| Rocket | Saturn I SA-5 |
| Launch site | Cape Kennedy LC-37B |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | April 30, 1966 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 258 kilometers (139 nmi) |
| Apogee altitude | 741 kilometers (400 nmi) |
| Inclination | 31.4 degrees |
| Period | 94.61 minutes |
| Epoch | 3 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]
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- ^ "JFK Speech at Brooks AFB, 21Nov63 (video, on the last full day of his life)". YouTube.