1966-01-20 USA Little Joe II Abort Test (A-004)

An Apollo Little Joe II Abort Test (A-004) launch cover from "Robert Boudwin", postmarked at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, with a machine cancel on January 20, 1965.

The Little Joe II A-004 mission on January 20, 1966, was the final Apollo launch-abort test using the Little Joe II rocket. It carried Spacecraft 002 (SC-002), a modified Block I production-type Apollo Command/Service Module, rather than one of the earlier boilerplate spacecraft. It was an important milestone because it tested the Apollo spacecraft's launch escape system under one of the most difficult abort conditions — while the launch vehicle was powered and deliberately tumbling.

After the Little Joe II had climbed to roughly 60,000 feet, a ground command initiated a deliberate pitch-up maneuver, causing the booster and spacecraft to tumble. The automatic abort system then initiated the escape sequence. The Launch Escape System successfully stabilized and separated the spacecraft, demonstrating its ability to protect astronauts during a severe launch emergency and completing the Apollo abort-test program.