Apollo 4 Mission (1960s)

The film documents the mission of Apollo 4, an unmanned test flight of the Apollo Saturn V space vehicle. The film highlights the massive scale and technological advancements of the Apollo program. The Saturn V rocket, standing as tall as a 36-story building and weighing more than a U.S Navy destroyer, is launched into Earth orbits on November 9, 1967.

The film showcases the meticulous preparation and monitoring of the mission, with a chain of electronic surveillance and a team of technicians and engineers overseeing every detail. The planned course of Apollo 4 includes circular and elliptical orbits, with various stages of the rocket performing specific maneuvers.

The launch of Apollo 4 goes smoothly, with each stage of the Saturn V rocket separating and igniting as planned. The third stage inserts the spacecraft into a circular orbit, where it undergoes remote checks and evaluations. The third stage is then reignited to propel Apollo 4 into an elliptical orbit, reaching a peak altitude of over 11,000 miles.

Cameras on board the spacecraft capture stunning footage of Earth from space, showcasing our planet’s beauty. After reaching its peak altitude, Apollo 4 begins its descent, and its own propulsion system ignites to accelerate it toward re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. The spacecraft undergoes intense heat as it re-enters, testing the durability of the heat shield.

Finally, the Command Module splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, marking the successful conclusion of the mission. The film celebrates the technological achievements of Apollo 4 and instills confidence in the future of space exploration.

We digitized and uploaded this film from the A/V Geeks 16mm Archive. Email us at footage@avgeeks.com if you have questions about the footage and are interested in using it in your project.