February 26, 2015, marks the 50th anniversary of AS-201, the inaugural flight the intermediate rocket in the Saturn family, the Saturn 1B.
The Saturn 1B was used for Earth-orbital Apollo Command/Service module missions, which included Apollo 7, Skylabs 2-4, and the Apollo Soyuz Test Project. Additionally, unmanned flights of the booster tested out Apollo spacecraft systems as well as rocket capabilities.
AS-201 launched on February 26, 1966, from SLC-34 at Cape Canaveral. The 37-minute flight tested out vehicle performance, Apollo spacecraft Reaction Control Systems, heat shield capabilities form low Earth Orbit, and other mechanical tests. The capsule reached an altitude of 310 miles before beginning its descent to Earth.
The flight was a partial failure, with faulty wiring in the CSM causing steering control and data recording to be lost. Additionally, the Service Propulsion System engine on the Apollo Service Module did not properly burn for its intended full duration. Helium was accidentally introduced into the combustion chamber.
Splashdown of the AS-201 capsule occurred in the Atlantic ocean, where it was subsequently recovered and used for various parachute drop tests.
Currently, the capsule, which is serial number 009, is restored and on display at the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska. Photograph above taken in August, 2014, when I visited the museum and the spacecraft.