THIS DAY IN HISTORY: Apollo Lunar Module Takes Its First Flight in Space 58 Years Ago
By Space Coast Daily // January 22, 2026
Flashback to January 22, 1968
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – On Jan. 22, 1968, NASA launched Apollo 5, marking the first time the Apollo Lunar Module flew in space and a critical step toward landing astronauts on the Moon.
The mission was the first uncrewed flight test of the lunar module, the spacecraft designed to carry astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface and back again.
Launched atop a Saturn IB rocket from Cape Kennedy, Apollo 5 was intended to test the module’s propulsion systems and overall performance in the space environment.
The mission did not unfold exactly as planned. A series of technical issues prevented some scheduled engine firings from occurring as originally intended. Despite those setbacks, engineers were able to collect valuable data, and the lunar module successfully demonstrated key capabilities, including the operation of its ascent and descent engines.
NASA ultimately deemed Apollo 5 a success, concluding that the lunar module was fundamentally sound and ready for further testing.
Nine months later, the spacecraft underwent additional evaluation during Apollo 7, the first crewed mission of the Apollo program. Those tests helped pave the way for the lunar module’s historic role in subsequent missions, including Apollo 11’s first human landing on the Moon in July 1969.
Apollo 5 remains a milestone in spaceflight history, representing the lunar module’s debut and a vital proving ground for the technology that would soon carry astronauts to another world.
