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>> Long before the Apollo spacecraft came into being,
prototypes and models of each piece had to pass severe tests
to prove their flightworthiness.
The command module or crew compartment was subjected
to drop tests to assure the seaworthiness of the craft.
And abort tests, at which the launch escape system pulled the
capsule from an exploding rocket.
Parachute tests --
And earth impact tests, in case a land recovery should
be necessary.
Prototypes of the various modules were launched
into space, to test flight equipment.
The main engine of the service module was fired
to ram the command module back into the earth's atmosphere
at 25,000 miles an hour, to test the heat shield.
The engine of the service module was static fired before the
launch, to ensure its reliability,
a normal test for the engine.
Its proper operation is vital to the lunar voyage for maneuvering
in space, slowing the spacecraft into lunar orbit
and powering the return flight to earth.
To test the third stage of the Apollo craft, the lunar module,
a rather elaborate facility was needed
to artificially create the lower pull of the moon's gravity.
This is the craft in which two astronauts will soft land
on the surface of the moon
and when their lunar visit is finished,
it will carry them back to the orbiting command module.
After years of prototype testing like this, work was begun
on the actual flight models for Apollo.
Each part of the spacecraft is manufactured
to exact specifications, under strict quality control.
And through it all, testing is a continuous process,
from manufacture through system assembly to installation
and beyond, to actual flight.
2,000 measurements tell what's going on aboard the spacecraft.
They are fed into this computer, which processes
and displays the information for test engineers.
Several of these computers monitor the performance
of the Apollo craft, from assembly to lift off.
When the astronauts who will fly Apollo
and space agency officials are satisfied that every system
of the spacecraft is in operating condition,
they approve shipment to the Kennedy Space Center.
The modules are delivered
to the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building at Kennedy.
In this building, the three segments
of Apollo meet for the first time.
But another series of tests is conducted before the separate
parts can be joined together.
Then the three pieces are temporarily joined
and placed inside a large vacuum chamber.
The astronauts practice their missions in something close
to the airless environment of space inside the chamber.
They and the spacecraft are both checked.
In the background, computers follow each and every test,
comparing the results against those expected.
Finally, the three parts of the spacecraft are ready
to be mated into a single unit.
The lunar module fits into an adapter unit,
which acts as a protective shield
and supports the other spacecraft modules.
Next, the command and service modules are positioned
on the adapter.
More tests of the fully assembled spacecraft follow.
The testing doesn't end there.
It's been more than a year since the first test was conducted
on this spacecraft and now it is ready to be made
into the launch vehicle, the Saturn V. Even then,
the testing continues, right up to the time
when the Apollo spacecraft will be subjected
to the final test -- lift off,
space flight and return to earth.