Editing AS-101 (section)

== Flight ==
[[File:VonBraunMuellerReesSA6.jpg|thumb|left|[[George Mueller (NASA)|George Mueller]], [[Wernher von Braun]], and [[Eberhard Rees]] ([[Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center|MSFC]] Director for Research and Development) watch the AS-101 launch from the firing room.]]
It took three attempts to launch the rocket from [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 37|Cape Kennedy Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 37B]]. The first attempt was scrubbed after the [[liquid oxygen]] damaged a wire mesh screen during a test, causing fuel contamination. The second attempt was scrubbed after the rocket's guidance system overheated due to failure of an air conditioning compressor.

The vehicle finally lifted off on May 28, 1964. There had been several delays during the countdown as liquid oxygen vapors obscured an optical window in the SA-6's instrument unit, so that a ground-based [[theodolite]] could not see it. This theodolite was required by the countdown computer in order for launch to proceed. Engineers deemed it non-critical and reprogrammed the computer, allowing the launch to proceed.

The ascent was normal up to 116.9 seconds after liftoff, at which point engine number eight shut off early. This was not planned, as it had been on [[SA-4 (Apollo)|SA-4]] as a test, but the rocket compensated perfectly by burning the remaining fuel in the other seven engines for 2.7 seconds longer than planned. The first stage separated and the second stage ignited. Ten seconds later, the launch escape system was jettisoned as planned. Also jettisoned from the first stage were eight film cameras that observed separation of the stages.

The second stage cut off at 624.5 seconds after launch (1.26 seconds earlier than predicted), with the stage and boilerplate spacecraft in a {{Convert|182|km|nmi|abbr=off|sp=us}} by {{Convert|227|km|nmi|abbr=off|sp=us}} orbit. It continued to transmit data for four orbits, after which the batteries failed. The vehicle made a total of 54 orbits, re-entering the atmosphere east of [[Kanton Island]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]] on June 1.