Object Details
Manufacturer
North American Aviation Inc.
Summary
This hatch was part of the unmanned Apollo 4 Command Module (CM 017), which was launched on Nov. 9, 1967, the first flight of the giant Saturn V launch vehicle. The Apollo hatch had to provide a perfect seal for proper cabin pressurization, thermal protection during re-entry, and water-tight conditions during splashdown and recovery. The hatch is an example of the original Block I hatch design, later modified as a result of the fatal Apollo 204 fire in January 1967, after which rescue crews were unable to open the hatch quickly enough to have any chance of saving the astronauts’ lives.
North American Aviation made the hatch and it was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution with CM 017 by the NASA Johnson Space Center in 1974.
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Inventory Number
A19700254004
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
SPACECRAFT-Crewed-Parts & Structural Components
Materials
Aluminum, Steel, Paint, Plastic, Acrylic (Plexiglas), Foam, Adhesive, Stainless Steel, Titanium
Dimensions
Approximate: 14.6 × 106.7 × 83.2cm, 24kg (5 3/4 in. × 3 ft. 6 in. × 2 ft. 8 3/4 in., 53lb.)
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Exhibition
Destination Moon
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nasm_A19700254004
