Apollo 6 - "The Greatest Weightlifting Effort Ever" - All The Launch Films

Video from the channel lunarmodule5 about Apollo 6, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 38:12. Language: English. Video type: Launch.

Apollo 6 (AS-502) was an uncrewed test flight of the Saturn V. The video brings together several films of the same liftoff, shot from different cameras and angles, edited one after another. Each take has the NASA launch control commentary synchronized, which is why the audio repeats almost in full in each film.

Most of the takes start in the final seconds of the countdown: at T-30 s swing arm number 1 is retracted from the tower, followed by the ignition sequence, liftoff at 7:00 a.m. Eastern time, and tower clearance. Once clear of the tower, control passes to the Houston center and the pitch and roll program toward an azimuth of 72° begins, with the five F-1 engines running and field safety compliance confirmed. The ascent milestones follow. Around 45 s, the predicted impact point is already over the ocean. At 56 s, cabin pressure begins to drop. Around 1 min 25 s the vehicle passes through maximum dynamic pressure, and at 1 min 45 s it is flying at 14 nautical miles altitude and 12 nautical miles downrange, at 4,600 feet per second. At 2 min, Flight Director Cliff Charlesworth checks with his team ahead of stage separation.

One of the films also includes the earlier part of the countdown. It covers first-stage pressurization at T-60 s, the switch to internal power at T-50 s, and confirmation that the whole vehicle is pressurized.

The longest takes run through stage separation. The center engine shuts down, followed by the four outer engines, second-stage ignition is confirmed, and at 2 min 50 s the vehicle is at 40 nautical miles altitude and 70 nautical miles downrange. The interstage ring separates as planned. The footage does not follow the flight beyond that point.