See, that's what happens when you fly a 3 inch aluminum capsule at 25,000 mph into the atmosphere. It doesn't survive more than 15 seconds, tops, and when that fireball hits the pure oxygen in the cabin, it is going to explode. You wont ever see 5000 degrees, it will be long gone before then, once the aluminum began to melt, it was over in an instant...
So where did I get the idea that they flew the missions like that? 25,000 mph into re-entry creating 5000 degrees (F)... who ever said anything that crazy?
I mostly wanted to see if I could copy/paste the answer, now that they are publishing the old script in pdf format...
APOLLO FLIGHT TESTS
The Apollo flight test program up to September,
1968, included space tests of four command and
service modules, one lunar module, and space and
atmospheric tests of 10 boilerplate (test) command
and service modules. These tests were conducted
under the "all-up" philosophy of testing as many
things simultaneously as possible and thus minimizing
the number of launches, as well as cost and time.
The program is aimed at designing the spacecraft
so that all launches contribute to its development.
The command and service modules are being
developed separately from the lunar module; this
permits both modules to be tested on the smaller
Saturn I B launch vehicle. The test program depends
on the Saturn V only for missions that require its
large payload.
Another test program goal has been maximum
development on the ground; space flights have been
undertaken only with spacecraft with almost all
systems aboard and operating.
An example of this philosophy of combining
many tests on one flight was the Apollo 6 mission
on April 4, 1968. This mission included the second
flight of a Saturn V launch vehicle as well as a
number of important spacecraft tests.
Although launch vehicle problems caused selection
of an alternate mission and prevented achievement
of some major objectives, NASA termed the spacecraft's
accomplishments impressive. These included
the longest single burn in space of the service propulsion
engine (7 minutes, 25 seconds), proper control
of the engine during this burn by the guidance
and navigation subsystem, proper maintenance of
spacecraft attitude by the reaction control subsystem
during the long cold soak period, and
another successful test of the spacecraft's heat
shield. This also was the first space test of the new
unified crew hatch and seals and they withstood the
mission in good condition.
The first flight of the Saturn V was on Nov. 9,
1967, in the Apollo 4 mission, which also was a
major test of the CM's heat shield, service propulsion
subsystem, guidance and navigation equipment,
and environmental control subsystem. The
major objectives of Apollo 4, all fulfilled, were: the
first launch of the Saturn V first stage, the first
P-44 Apollo development sequence
flight of the hydrogen-powered second stage, restart
of the third stage in earth orbit, restart of the
service propulsion engine in space and its record firing
for nearly 5 minutes, a hot and cold soak of the
spacecraft far out in space, and entry under the
severest conditions yet encountered by a spacecraft
(a velocity of 24,913 miles per hour and a heat
shield temperature of about 5,000 degrees F).