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More Details for 1965-12-09

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Investigations were continuing of the best alternative for resolving the AS-502 mission incompatibilities.

The incompatibilities resulted from the restriction of the usable life of the Block I service propulsion system (SPS) engine to 385 to 400 sec total burn time. The alternatives were:

- Retain the current mission profile by burning the SPS engine for 500 sec, the minimum time the Block I engine was to be qualified for in ground tests.
- Decrease the burn time to about 385 sec and permit the apogee of the AS-502 mission to increase well above the planned 16,668 km (9,000 nmi). The increased flight time would result in increased dispersions at reentry, requiring some means to be found to decrease guidance dispersions during flight.
- Plan a primary AS-502 mission which stayed within the 400-sec burn time limitation and which did not achieve the desired reentry conditions for the heatshield test.
- Put a Block II SPS engine on CM 020. Because of the number of changes in the SPS subsystem between Block I and Block II, this would probably mean an extensive rework of the 020 SM.
- Develop engine modifications specifically for the 020 spacecraft that would permit firing the engine for 500 sec. This would mean a dead-end development over and above the Block I requirements.

The necessary information for reaching a decision among those alternatives was being collected.