AS-103 (also known as SA-9) was the third orbital test flight of a boilerplate Apollo spacecraft and marked the first launch of a Pegasus micrometeoroid detection satellite. It was also the third operational mission of the two-stage Saturn I launch vehicle.
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| A "SpaceCraft" illustrated cachet cover postmarked Cape Canaveral, February 16, 1965, the launch day of SA-8 Pegasus 1. |
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| Photo: A cameraman captures footage of the Saturn I launch that placed the Pegasus satellite into orbit on February 16, 1965. |
The launch vehicle was comprised of an S-I first stage, an S-IV second stage, and an instrument unit. The spacecraft included a boilerplate command and service module, a launch escape system, and a service module/launch vehicle adapter (BP-16). The Pegasus 1 satellite was housed within the service module and attached to the S-IV stage. In orbit, the satellite remained mounted on the adapter, which stayed connected to both the instrument unit and the expended S-IV stage. The launch escape system was discarded during ascent, and the command module was jettisoned after reaching orbit. The satellite weighed around 3,980 pounds (1,805 kg) and measured 208 by 84 by 95 inches (5.28 by 2.13 by 2.41 m). Once deployed, its wings spanned 96 feet (29.3 m).
