APOLLO 4 MISSION
Faced with time and budgetary constraints, George Mueller, Director of the Office of Manned Space Flight, proposed testing the first Saturn V rockets with all live stages and a complete spacecraft.
Previous rockets were tested one major component and one stage at time before a full test of a complete vehicle. Mueller's proposal, called "all-up" testing, met with resistance. With the successful launching of Apollo 4, the first "all up" test, in November 1967, Mueller's decision was vindicated.
This test procedure for the Saturn V allowed NASA to meet the 1969 lunar goal, despite the setback of a tragic Apollo fire in January 1967. It also saved money and equipment that later were used for the Skylab program.

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-- -- TIMELINE -- --


Racing to Space
The Moon decision
To reach the moon
Apollo 11
Later Apollo missions
What we learned about the Moon
After the Apollo Program


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Created: 7/99