Air & Space Museum

Apollo Command Module Boilerplate

Apollo Command Module Boilerplate

Many of us remember the excitement of the Apollo missions that landed a dozen Americans on the Moon more than 50 years ago. The Apollo Command Module was the only part of the massive, skyscraper-sized Saturn V rocket that returned to Earth at the end of each flight. You can recognize an enlarged version of the Command Module’s cone shape in today’s Lockheed Martin Orion spacecraft and the Boeing Starliner.

This artifact looks very much like an actual Apollo Command Module, but it never carried astronauts into space. It is a boilerplate—a simplified metal model created to test specific aspects of the real spacecraft, such as water landings, launch abort escape rockets, or recovery systems. It duplicates the size, weight, shape, and center of gravity of the actual vehicle.

This particular boilerplate is BP-1101A. NASA used it for flotation tests in the Gulf of Mexico in July, 1965. After some modifications, NASA used it again for additional ocean testing in 1966 and 1967. In most photos of Apollo spacecraft floating in the ocean you can see large round balloons near the top. They pull the spacecraft right-side-up if it capsizes, and they were tested on this very boilerplate.

On loan from the National Air and Space Museum.

Capsule specifications:
Diameter: 12 ft 10 in (3.9 m)
Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.7 m)
Weight: Varied, approximately 10,000 lbs (4,536 kg)

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Air & Space Museum

Upcoming Events

Saturday Jun 3
9:30AM TO 12:30PM
Exploration of Flight

Breakfast Fly-In

Breakfast Fly-In
Saturday, Jun 3 | 9:30AM to 12:30PM

Join Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight for monthly fly-ins featuring planes, pilots and breakfast!

On the first Saturday of every month, enjoy breakfast from a local food truck, watch aircraft fly in and explore interactive exhibits and simulators.

Purchase Tickets

Food Truck: Cruz In & Eat
Please note: Food purchases are not included in admission.

Pilots – Fly in for free breakfast! For tie-down space, contact Flight@WingsMuseum.org or 303.360.5360 ext 160.

Monday Jun 5
Exploration of Flight

Summer Camp: Skyward

Summer Camp: Skyward
Monday, Jun 5 to Friday, Jun 9

Look toward the sky… the blue sky.  Learn how airplanes, helicopters, and experimental aircraft fly and talk to pilots who fly them! Aviation-related projects and flight simulators make this camp something special for young aviators.

Register Here

 

Monday Jun 5
Air & Space Museum

Summer Camp: Rockets and Drones

Summer Camp: Rockets and Drones
Monday, Jun 5 to Friday, Jun 9

This camp is sold out. 

Start the summer off with a blast! In Rockets and Drones, campers learn about programming and building rockets and drones. Campers will use the engineering design process to build and launch rockets and fly small drones in a safe and responsible way.

 

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