The First 3½ Miles to the Moon

The long journeys of the Saturn rockets from the launch pad into the environment of space have been thoroughly documented on film and in written words during the historic era of the United States space programs. The countless miles logged by the space vehicles after lift-off have been witnessed by millions of armchair astronauts around the globe through the media of television and journalism. Little is known, however, about the first 3-1/2 miles that the assembled rockets travel, and the technology required to traverse that short distance.