On October 11, 1968, NASA launched the Apollo 7 mission, whose main objective was to test the command and service module in Earth orbit. The mission was particularly delicate for two reasons: it was the first crewed launch after Gemini 12 and the Apollo 1 fire that claimed the lives of three astronauts, and the exchange between Mission Control and the crew was not the friendliest in the world. However, the mission was a resounding success despite those details, and the three astronauts brought back incredible images of their flight.
All parties had been under great pressure. The deaths of Grissom, White, and Chaffee in the Apollo 1 fire led to a 21-month suspension of crewed flights. Apollo 7 marked the end of that suspension, so it reached Earth orbit with a heavier backpack than usual. At the same time, Apollo 7 was NASA's first mission to space with three crew members and the first to make live broadcasts for national television. The technical success of the mission is unquestionable, but the most important lesson NASA learned with Apollo 7 was psychological.
Eleven days locked in a sardine can took their toll. Neither the experience of Walter Schirra (on his third flight) nor the enthusiasm of Donn Eisele and Ronnie Cunningham (both traveling to space for the first time) were enough to avoid several clashes with Mission Control, and Schirra's general condition (who suffered a severe cold) did not help the situation. Even so, these differences between astronauts (who, by the way, did not return to space) and ground personnel helped the development of the other Apollo missions become much more dynamic and efficient.
A Historic Gallery
What else do we have from Apollo 7? To finish, this impressive gallery of images was taken with Hasselblad cameras that the folks at Vintage Everyday found in the Project Apollo Archive.
The best part is that this titanic digitization and preservation process of the Apollo program is not limited to Apollo 7. Remember that you can access the source code and all the Apollo 11 audio with just a couple of clicks.
