What date did the AS-101 mission launch?
The Saturn I launch vehicle carried its first boilerplate Apollo spacecraft into low Earth orbit on the 28th of May 1964. This flight designated AS-101 marked the sixth test of the rocket system.
Questions about AS-101
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where did the AS-101 reenter the atmosphere?
The vehicle completed a total of 54 orbits before reentering the atmosphere east of Kanton Island in the Pacific Ocean on the 1st of June 1964. It continued to transmit data for four orbits after the second stage cut off at 624.5 seconds.
Why did engineers use a dummy spacecraft for the AS-101 flight?
Engineers needed to verify the launch aerodynamics of the command and service module before sending astronauts. The new boilerplate spacecraft BP-13 duplicated the size and shape of the actual crewed capsule while weighing significantly less than a flight-weight command module.
How many sensors equipped the dummy spacecraft during the AS-101 mission?
Engineers equipped the dummy spacecraft with 116 sensors to measure critical flight parameters. These instruments read strain, pressure, temperature, heat flux, and acceleration throughout the journey.
What caused the first two failed attempts of the AS-101 launch?
The first attempt stopped after liquid oxygen damaged a wire mesh screen during a test run which caused fuel contamination that made ignition impossible. The second attempt halted when the guidance system overheated due to failure of an air conditioning compressor.