AS-101 (also referred to as SA-6) was the sixth flight of the Saturn I launch vehicle, which successfully carried the first boilerplate Apollo spacecraft into low Earth orbit. This test occurred on May 28, 1964, lasting for four orbits (approximately six hours). The spacecraft and its upper stage ultimately completed a total of 54 orbits before reentering the atmosphere and crashing into the Pacific Ocean on June 1, 1964.
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| Photo: Wernher von Braun keeps his eyes on the launch pad through a periscope. |
The flight encountered a single anomaly: one of the eight first-stage Saturn I engines shut down prematurely. However, the guidance system compensated by extending the burn of the remaining seven engines. AS-101 was succeeded by four additional flights aimed at verifying the launch aerodynamics of the Apollo command and service module (CSM) and its launch escape system (LES) tower.
