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In Our History: First Apollo Crew Launched
Workers at what was then called "Cape Kennedy" watch a 224-foot-high Saturn 1B space vehicle lift off from Complex 34 carrying Apollo 7 astronauts Walter M. Schirra Jr., Donn F. Eisele and Walter Cunningham at the start of their scheduled 11-day Earth orbital flight. The Saturn IB, in its first trial with men aboard, provided a perfect launch, and its first stage dropped off two minutes, 25 seconds later. The S-IVB second stage took over, giving astronauts their first ride atop a load of liquid hydrogen. At five minutes, 54 seconds into the mission, Schirra, the commander, reported, "She is riding like a dream." About five minutes later, an elliptical orbit was achieved 140 by 183 miles above Earth. Image credit: NASA Oct. 11, 1968