LTA-2R

Apollo Lunar Test Article

Mission Profile

LTA-2R (Lunar Test Article 2R) was an Apollo Spacecraft structural test article used as a mass simulator payload aboard Apollo 6, the final unmanned Saturn V test flight on 4 April 1968. The article simulated the mass and structural properties of the Apollo Lunar Module for dynamic loading tests during ascent, as the actual LM was not yet flight-qualified at the time. Apollo 6 encountered significant engine problems during flight, but LTA-2R served its purpose as a mass simulator and allowed NASA to gather Saturn V structural data. The mission cleared the way for the first crewed Saturn V mission, Apollo 7, later that year.