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Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Visit our website This NASA documentary depicts the preparation, launch, and recovery of the successful flight of the Apollo 4 Saturn V on November 9, 1967. In 1961 former U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy proposed to land an astronaut on the moon by the end of the decade, with a safe return to Earth. All rocket stages of Apollo 4 were fully functional, and the unmanned test flight eventually became the Saturn V rocket, which took man to the moon. The film is written and directed by Cal Reed, edited by Bob Clarke, narrated by Marvin Miller, and photographed by Sid Brownlee, Dave Weeks, and Paul Hipp. People crossing the street (00:11). Apollo 4, also known as SA-501: the first uncrewed test flight of the Saturn V launch vehicle (00:28). Astronauts of the spacecraft group ‘Project Mercury’ (00:49). Views of NASA’s second human spaceflight program, ‘Project Gemini’ (00:55). Testing and inspection of the Saturn V launch vehicle (01:16). Apollo test flights launched (02:04). The heat shield and parachute landing system floating in the ocean (02:41). A sunset (02:50). The Project Mercury spaceship launched in 1963 (03:08). The Project Gemini spacecraft launched in 1966 (03:12). Apollo and Saturn I where the three astronauts manning the capsule tragically died in a fire (03:19). Apollo and Saturn V (03:26). “Apollo 4 – First of the Big Shots” title banner (04:15). Credentials (04:25). The 364-feet tall Apollo Saturn V (04:35). Views of the Apollo 4 rocket and Saturn launcher at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) (05:12). The crawler transporter, CT-1 or CT-2, used to move Apollo Saturn 4 (05:43). Cars driving towards the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas (06:40). Views of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama (06:14). Views of North American Aviation Space Division in Downey, California (06:20). Apollo 4 and Saturn V being transported (06:28). The S-1C first stage of the Apollo 4, manufactured by the Boeing company (06:40). The power of the first stage is tested at a NASA test facility in Mississippi (07:11). Views of the five F-1 engines (07:29). The Rocketdyne division of North American Aviation developing the F-1 engines (07:39). Views of the five F-1 engines preparing for launch (08:06). The objectives for the Saturn first stage test launch (08:33). The second stage, S-II, built by North American Aviation Space Division (08:59). Views of the five J-2 rocket engines running on liquid hydrogen and oxygen (09:24). A temperature-controlled container of liquid hydrogen space fuel (09:47). The second stage, S-II (10:37). The performance of the S-II is tested on a test-stand firing at the testing facility in Mississippi (10:51). The test objectives for the second stage (11:10). The third stage, S- IVB, built by the Douglas Aircraft Company (11:55). The instrument unit used to control the three Saturn stages, built by IBM (12:16). Views of S-IVB separating of S-II in space (12:34). The objectives of the separation of stage I, II, and III (13:09). The command module of Apollo spacecraft 17 (14:24). A cylindrical service module (15:13). The command and service modules are tested (15:44). A spacecraft assembly area (16:24). Workers dressed in dust-free clothing (16:30). Modules are tumbled for contamination-precaution (16:35). All aircraft parts arrive at the Kennedy Space Center (16:59), where they are tested and assembled (17:25). The aircraft’s first, second, and third stages’ objectives (18:14). Views of the mission control in Houston, Texas (21:21). Tracking stations around earth (21:42). Views of the Carnarvon Tracking Station in Australia (21:53). More views of Apollo 4’s objectives for a safe return to earth (22:15). A communication station (24:03). A beach in Hawaii (24:16). The tracking station on water near Kauai, Hawaii (24:26). The space parachutes are released (24:37). The spacecraft has landed in the ocean (25:11). The launch of Apollo 4 (25:29). A speaker announcement for the workers at various Space Center (27:24). Views of Apollo 4’s journey (28:13), after landing (28:37), and brought back onto land (28:46). People crossing the street (29:15). Apollo 4 (29:29). Credentials (29:56). We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.“ This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit
