Apollo Command Module

NASA often used boilerplate spacecraft as an economical way to evaluate designs when an actual spacecraft was not required. Originally named for the thick boilerplate steel used to construct early units, these craft were built to simulate the same size, shape, structure, mass and center of gravity as the actual spacecraft they represented. Often heavily instrumented, they were used for many types of evaluations, including water impact tests, verifying parachute systems, perfecting flotation collars and water uprighting bags, training recovery crews, and developing procedures for removing astronauts from their spacecraft after splashdown. This specific Apollo boilerplate, #1210, was used for landing and naval recovery training and to test the development of flotation devices used to stabilize Apollo after splashdown.

Weatherford, Oklahoma · United States