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A Little Joe II A-002 launch cover from “Velvatone,” postmarked at White Sands Missile Range with a machine cancel on August 28, 1963.
The flight was part of NASA’s Apollo Launch Escape System test program, designed to evaluate the spacecraft’s ability to separate safely from a malfunctioning launch vehicle during an emergency. The test represented an important step in developing the crew-safety systems required for Apollo’s future manned missions. |
The Little Joe II Qualification Test Vehicle had its inaugural flight on August 28, 1963, launched from Launch Complex 36, Area 3 at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
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| Photo: The Little Joe II launch vehicle. |
The spacecraft featured a dummy launch escape system and a boilerplate command and service module (CSM). The mission aimed to demonstrate the Little Joe II rocket's ability to serve as an Apollo CSM test vehicle and to assess base pressures and heating on the rocket. Most objectives were met, with the only failure being a malfunction in the destruct system.
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| Photo: A dummy payload, matching the size and weight of the Apollo command module and escape tower, is positioned atop a Little Joe II launch vehicle for flight testing.
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