Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer

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.

 Display Status

This object is on display in Destination Moon at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Destination Moon
Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type SPACECRAFT-Crewed-Parts & Structural Components Manufacturer North American Aviation Inc.
 Dimensions Approximate: 14.6 × 106.7 × 83.2cm, 24kg (5 3/4 in. × 3 ft. 6 in. × 2 ft. 8 3/4 in., 53lb.)
 Materials Aluminum, Steel, Paint, Plastic, Acrylic (Plexiglas), Foam, Adhesive, Stainless Steel, Titanium
 Inventory Number A19700254004 Credit Line Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.