Throwback of the uncrewed Saturn/Apollo 4 mission during the morning of launch. This was the first all-up test of the three stage Saturn V rocket. It carried a payload of an Apollo Command and Service Module into Earth orbit. The mission was designed to test all aspects of the Saturn V launch vehicle and also returned pictures of Earth taken by the automatic Command Module apogee camera from about one hour before to one hour after apogee. Mission objectives included testing of structural integrity, compatibility of launch vehicle and spacecraft, heat shield and thermal seal integrity, overall reentry operations, launch loads and dynamic characteristics, stage separation, launch vehicle subsystems, the emergency detection system, and mission support facilities and operations. The mission was deemed a successful test. Scheduled in 2018, NASA's Orion (Crew and #ESA Service Module) and Space Launch System rocket will conduct a highly similar manifest, launching an uncrewed mission from th...