Heat Shield, Forward, Apollo 4
Object Details
- Manufacturer
- North American Aviation Inc.
- Summary
- Apollo 4 was launched on November 9, 1967, and was the first flight of the giant Saturn V launch vehicle. Reaching an altitude of 11,234 miles, the unmanned flight of Command and Service Modules CSM 017 lasted 8 1/2 hours. The Command Module reentered the atmosphere at 24,917 mph and splashed down in the Pacific. The flight qualified the heat shield for lunar flight. Before splashdown at 24,000 ft. the forward heat shield was jettisoned to uncover the parachutes and deployment mechanisms. The forward heat shield was recovered separately and transferred to the Smithsonian along with CM 017 in January 1969.
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- Credit Line
- Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Data Source
- National Air and Space Museum
- Inventory Number
- A19700254003
- Type
- SPACECRAFT-Crewed-Parts & Structural Components
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Materials
- Kapton (Polymide), Mylar (Polyester), Aluminum, Paint, Phenolic Resin, Stainless Steel, Steel, Magnesium, Plastic, Synthetic Fabric, Adhesive, Copper
- Dimensions
- 3-D (Heat Shield, Forward, Apollo 4): 198.1 × 198.1 × 137.2cm, 161kg (6 ft. 6 in. × 6 ft. 6 in. × 4 ft. 6 in., 355lb.)
- 3-D (Aluminum Pallet Storage): 212.1 × 212.1 × 151.1cm, 242.2kg (6 11 1/2 × 6 11 1/2 × 4 ft. 11 1/2 in., 534lb.)
- Record ID
- nasm_A19700254003
Conical upper (apex) section of the heat shield that protected CM 017 (the Apollo 4 Command Module). Remnants of mylar covering are present in patterns that match recovery imagery.
