Buy the Apollo 7 launch poster
On 11 October 1968, NASA launched Apollo 7 mission.
This manned mission carried a crew of three in an Earth-orbital test flight.
Its objective was to test all the parts for lunar exploration missions: life support, propulsion, guidance and control systems for the original Apollo Command/Service module.
The crew on the Apollo 7, Schirra, Eisele, and Cunningham, weren't the original crew. First they were named as crew for a second test mission, which got later scrapped.
But during to a fire during a test on 27 January 1967, the crew for the first mission was killed.
Manned flights were suspended for 21 months, while the cause of the accident was investigated and improvements made to the spacecraft and safety procedures.
The spaceship was launched using the Saturn IB booster, which was less powerful than the Saturn V.
Apollo 7 was also the first live television transmission from space:
10 days, 20 hours, 9 minutes, 3 seconds after launch, the crew splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean.
The mission was a success and verified the flight worthiness of the Apollo Command and Service Modules.
This was instrumental to send the Apollo 8 in orbit around the Moon, two months later.
The Apollo 7 crew - Picture by NASA on 22 May 1968
The official emblem of Apollo 7
Read more about the Apollo 7 mission.
Buy the Apollo 7 launch poster