  We present the results of the first commissioning phase of the ``short focal
length'' area (SFA) of the Apollon laser facility (located in Saclay, France),
which was performed with the first available laser beam (F2), scaled to a
nominal power of one petawatt. Under the conditions that were tested, this beam
delivered on target pulses of 10 J average energy and 24 fs duration. Several
diagnostics were fielded to assess the performance of the facility. The
on-target focal spot, its spatial stability, the temporal intensity profile
prior to the main pulse, as well as the resulting density gradient formed at
the irradiated side of solid targets, have been thoroughly characterized, with
the goal of helping users design future experiments. Emissions of energetic
electrons, ions, and electromagnetic radiation were recorded, showing good
laser-to-target coupling efficiency and an overall performance comparable with
that of similar international facilities. This will be followed in 2022 by a
further commissioning stage at the multi-petawatt level.
