Pad Abort Test 1 was the inaugural abort test of the Apollo spacecraft, conducted on November 7, 1963. The mission aimed to evaluate the effects on the Apollo spacecraft during an abort scenario from the launch pad. The launch escape system (LES) needed to safely propel the spacecraft away from a rocket explosion on the pad. Subsequently, the LES had to reach sufficient altitude to allow the command module's parachutes to deploy, ideally landing the spacecraft over water rather than on land.
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| Launch escape system (LES) abort test from launch pad, the first abort test of the Apollo spacecraft. This cover with "Velvatone" cachet was postmarked at White Sands Missile Range, November 7, 1963. |
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| Photo: Boiler plate version of the Apollo space capsule. |
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| Photo: An illustration of the flight of Apollo boilerplate capsule and its escape mechanism. |
The flight utilized a production model launch escape system (LES) along with a boilerplate Apollo spacecraft (BP-06), marking the first mission to include such a setup. The spacecraft did not carry any instruments for measuring structural loads, as the boilerplate structure did not accurately reflect that of an actual spacecraft.
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| Photo: The escape tower will lift the Apollo capsule from the pad to an altitude of about 5,000 feet. |
On November 7, 1963, an abort signal was issued to the launch escape system (LES) at 09:00:01 local time. This initiated a sequence in which the main solid rockets ignited to lift the spacecraft, while smaller attitude rockets were activated to maneuver it laterally toward the ocean.
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| Photo: The Apollo capsule boilerplate descends from 5,000 feet after the successful launch, November 7, 1963. |
The launch escape system (LES) detached after 15 seconds, enabling the spacecraft to follow a ballistic trajectory. The parachute system functioned flawlessly: the drogue chute stabilized the spacecraft, and the three main parachutes reduced the descent speed to 26 kilometers per hour. The only issues identified during the flight were that the LES rockets left soot on the spacecraft's exterior and the spacecraft's stability was not as high as anticipated.
