Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 7

Photo By Cpl. Melany Breedlove | Col Walter Cunningham, United States Marine Corps retired fighter pilot and Apollo 7 lunar module pilot, gives his remarks during the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 7 mission at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, Oct. 20, 2018. The spacecraft crew consisted of commander Walter M. Schirra, Jr., command module pilot Donn F. Eisele, and lunar module pilot Walter Cunningham. Apollo 7 was the only manned Apollo mission launched on a Saturn 1-B rocket and from pad 34 at Cape Kennedy and the first manned test of the Command and Service Module. The crew orbited the Earth 163 times and spent 10 days and 20 hours in space. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Melany Vasquez/Released)  

DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES

10.25.2018

Story by Lance Cpl. Melany Breedlove 

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

On October 20, 2018, Col. Walter Cunningham, United States Marine Corps Reserve retired fighter pilot and Apollo 7 lunar module pilot, stood on stage at the Frontiers of Flights Museum, thanking his fellow peers for helping him accomplish such a historic feat 50 years ago.

Cunningham began his aviation career as a Marine fighter pilot. After several years of active duty, he decided to continue his pursuits of collegiate education as he joined the Marine Corps Reserve. During this time, he applied for the NASA astronaut program. Cunningham would eventually become a member of the Apollo 7 mission as part of the three person crewed spacecraft that orbited the Earth 163 times and spent 10 days and 20 hours in space. He was joined by Walter M. Schirra, Jr., the commander of the spacecraft, and Donn F. Eisele, command module pilot. Together they made Apollo 7 the only manned Apollo mission launched on a Saturn 1-B rocket, the first manned test of the Command and Service Module, and the first to feature a live TV broadcast from a manned spacecraft. Apollo 7 has also spent more time in space than all the Soviet space flights combined up to that moment.

“We started training in late 1963 and it wasn’t as simple as you think,” said Cunningham. “To this day, Apollo 7 is the longest and most ambitious, successful test flight that any new flying machine has ever accomplished.”

Cunningham, Schirra and Eisele were originally assigned to the Apollo 2 mission as well as the backup crew for Apollo 1. Just months after the tragic Apollo 1 mishap on January 27, 1967, where a cabin fire killed the three crew members on board, Cunningham, et al. were announced as the new official crew for the Apollo mission.

The original Apollo 2 launch was eventually cancelled. It took months of training, repairing and changing ideas for Apollo 7 to finally be created. On October 11, 1968 at 11:02 a.m., Apollo 7 made its way to space.

“The only thing that I could remember fearing was failure,” said Cunningham. “The last thing you want to do is be seen as another crew, ground crew or whatever it was go down.”

After the success of Apollo 7 everyone immediately got to work. Realizing what went right, plans on creating Apollo 8 to Apollo 17 were made with successful results. Since the start of the Apollo program, multiple generations have come and gone. Most can recall Apollo 11 as the first mission to land the moon. Apollo 13 can also be remembered for its dramatic events while in space as depicted in movies based on these events. There are but just a few who could recall the importance of the Apollo 7 mission.

“Our mission was to test the spacecraft and it surprised everyone how successful we were with it,” said Cunningham. “The last [Apollo] missions brought out more accomplishments than ever. Rarely do people think about Apollo 7, some of them might be aware of it and a few of them understand the key role of the mission. The public, I think, doesn’t understand that you work your way up to accomplishments.”

Since its first successful launch Apollo 7 has reached its 50th anniversary. Unfortunately both the late Schirra and Eisele were unable to celebrate this special occasion. Cunningham has not let their memories be forgotten. The original Apollo 7 capsule along with historical artifacts from that mission and those after it can be found at the Frontiers of Flights Museum in Dallas, Texas. Cunningham can be seen there from time to time reliving his accomplishment, and educating those around him about the success of Apollo 7.

• Date Taken: 10.25.2018
• Date Posted: 10.25.2018 14:33
• Story ID: 297678
• Location: DALLAS, TX, US