Apollo 7
The first crewed flight of the Apollo program.
Mission Type
astronauts
Launch
Landing
About Apollo 7, the First Crewed Apollo Space Mission
“The Walt, Wally and Donn Show…” Mission Objectives Demonstrate Command and Service Module (CSM) with crew performance; demonstrate mission support facilities’…
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Walter M. Schirra, Jr.
Commander
Captain Walter M. Schirra, Jr. was one of the first seven NASA astronauts named in April 1959. He was the only astronaut to have flown to space on Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecraft, logging a total of 295 hours and 15 minutes in space.
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R. Walter Cunningham
Lunar Module Pilot
Selected in 1963, Cunningham was a member of NASA’s third astronaut class. Cunningham retired from the Marine Corps with 4,500 hours pilot time, including 263 hours in space. Apollo 7 was his first and only space flight.
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Donn F. Eisele
Command Module Pilot
Colonel Donn F. Eisele was one of the third group of astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963. He flew on the first crewed flight of the Apollo program and was the backup Command Module Pilot for Apollo 10. Colonel Eisele logged 260 hours in space.
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Apollo 7
50 Years Ago, Accolades for Apollo 7 Astronauts
Following their nearly flawless mission, Apollo 7 astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham received many accolades for their historic accomplishment. President Lyndon B. Johnson, a long-time supporter of the nation’s space program, invited the…
50 Years Ago: Apollo 7 Ends, “101% Successful”
Apollo 7, with astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham aboard, splashed down on October 22, 1968, ending a highly successful engineering test flight. The landing occurred in the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Bermuda. All…
50 Years Ago, The Apollo 7 Mission Continues
Apollo 7 astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham continued their historic Earth orbital mission to thoroughly test the Apollo spacecraft and its systems. Throughout the flight, Mission Control passed up daily news reports to…
50 Years Ago, Apollo 7 Flight Day 2: Rendezvous Day
The Apollo 7 crew of Walter M. Schirra, Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham spent a very busy first day in space, starting with their launch from Cape Kennedy on October 11, 1968, returning Americans to space for the…
NASA Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 7
On Oct. 11, 1968, NASA launched its first crewed Apollo mission, which paved the way for the moon landing less than a year later. The Apollo 7 crew was commanded by Wally Schirra, with Command Module Pilot Donn Eisele, and Lunar Module Pilot Walt Cunningham.…
50 Years Ago: NASA Launched Apollo 7
Americans were in space again for the first time in nearly 22 months. After months of preparation, Apollo 7, with Walter “Wally” M. Schirra, Jr., Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter “Walt” Cunningham aboard, thundered off Launch Complex 34 at Cape…
50 Years Ago: One Week Until Apollo 7
One week to go until the launch of Apollo 7! On October 11, 1968, Americans astronauts would return to space and take the next steps toward achieving the goal of landing on the Moon before the end of the decade.…
Apollo 7 Launched as Race to Moon Reached Final Stretch
By Bob GranathNASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida On Oct. 11, 1968, three American astronauts launched to Earth orbit aboard Apollo 7. It was the first piloted mission of the spacecraft designed to meet President John F. Kennedy’s challenge to land…
