The primary objectives for
the Apollo 7 engineering test flight, were simple:
"Demonstrate CSM/crew performance; demonstrate crew/space
vehicle/mission support facilities performance during a
manned CSM mission; demonstrate CSM rendezvous capability."
The Saturn IB, in its
first trial with men aboard, provided a perfect launch and
its first stage dropped off 2 minutes 25 seconds later. The
S-IVB second stage took over, giving astronauts their first
ride atop a load of liquid hydrogen, and about ten minutes
later an elliptical orbit had been achieved, 140 by 183
miles above the Earth.
The service module engine
performance was satisfying. This was one area where the crew
could not switch to a redundant or backup system. At crucial
times during a future lunar voyage, the engine simply had to
work or they would not get back home. On Apollo 7, there
were eight nearly perfect firings out of eight attempts
lasting from half a second to 67.6 seconds.
The ghost of Apollo 1 was
exorcised forever as the new Block II Apollo vehicle and the
CSM performed superbly. However, a momentary shudder went
through Mission Control when both AC buses dropped out of
the spacecraft's electrical system, coincident with
automatic cycles of the cryogenic oxygen tank fans and
heaters but manual resetting of the AC bus breakers restored
normal service.
About 15 hours into the
flight, Schirra developed a bad cold, and Cunningham and
Eisele soon followed suit. A cold is uncomfortable enough
here on earth but in the weightlessness of space it presents
a different problem. Mucus accumulates, filling the nasal
passages, and does not drain from the head. The only relief
is to blow hard, which is painful to the ear drums. Several
days before the mission ended, they began to worry about
wearing their suit helmets during re-entry, which would
prevent them from blowing their noses. The build-up of
pressure might burst their eardrums. Schirra told his crew
that they would make re-entry without their helmets on.
Slayton, in mission control, tried to persuade them to wear
the helmets but Schirra was adamant and felt he was
ultimately responsible as commander on the flight. They each
took a decongestant pill about an hour before re-entry and
made it through the acceleration zone without any problems
with their ears.
Apollo's flotation bags
had their first try-out when the spacecraft splashed down in
the Atlantic southeast of Bermuda, less than two kilometres
from the planned impact point and promptly turned upside
down. When inflated, the brightly coloured bags flipped the
command module upright. The crew was deposited on the deck
of the U.S.S. Essex by 8:20 am EDT.
The crews defiance to not
wear their helmets during re-entry was a costly one. The
entire crew was "tarred and feathered" due to the actions of
Schirra. He had announced his retirement before the flight
and didn't care what anyone thought. Eisele and Cunningham
were making their first flight and felt they had to follow
their commander but, because of their actions, neither one
would ever fly in space again.