Saturn V

Saturn V was the launch vehicle used by NASA in the Apollo program. The Saturn V carried Apollo 11 to the Moon in 1969, after years of trial, study, and research into its design. Much of the rocket was designed by German engineer and scientist Wernher von Braun, who had previously created the V2 rocket under Nazi Germany. 32 Saturn-model rockets were sent up into space in total, with the launches split between the smaller Saturn I, and its bigger sibling, the Saturn V.^[6] 15 Saturn V rockets were made, and 13 were sent up to space for missions.^[6] There were two Saturn V's launched with no people in them, used as 'dress rehearsals', with the first manned Apollo flight using a Saturn V being Apollo 8, which was sent around the Moon on December 21, 1968.^[7]

Wernher von Braun standing by the five very big engines of the Saturn V in 1961

Saturn V
American human-rated launch vehicle
The Saturn V rocket carrying the Apollo 11's three people into space.
Has use	Launch vehicle of Apollo program Launch vehicle of Skylab
Manufacturer	Boeing (S-IC) North American (S-II) Douglas (S-IVB)
Country of origin	United States
Project cost	$6.417 billion in 1964–1973 dollars (~$42 billion in 2018 dollars)
Cost per launch	$185 million in 1969–1971 dollars[1] ($1.16 billion in 2016 value), of which $110 million was for vehicle.[2]
Size
Height	363.0 ft (110.6 m)
Diameter	33.0 ft (10.1 m)
Mass	6,540,000 lb (2,970,000 kg)[3]
Stages	2-3
Capacity
Payload to LEO (90 nmi (170 km), 30° inclination)
Mass	310,000 lb (140,000 kg)[4][5][note 1]
Payload to TLI
Mass	107,100 lb (48,600 kg)[3]
Associated rockets
Family	Saturn
Derivative work	Saturn INT-21
Comparable	Historic: N1 Energia Future: Long March 9 SLS BFR
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	Kennedy LC-39
Total launches	13
Success(es)	12
Failure(s)	0
Partial failure(s)	1 (Apollo 6)
First flight	November 9, 1967 (AS-501 Apollo 4)
Last flight	May 14, 1973 (AS-513 Skylab)
First stage – S-IC
Height	138.0 ft (42.1 m)
Diameter	33.0 ft (10.1 m)
Empty mass	287,000 lb (130,000 kg)
Gross mass	5,040,000 lb (2,290,000 kg)
Powered by	5 Rocketdyne F-1
Maximum thrust	7,891,000 lbf (35,100 kN) sea level
Specific impulse	263 seconds (2.58 km/s) sea level
Burn time	168 seconds
Propellant	RP-1/LOX
Second stage – S-II
Height	81.5 ft (24.8 m)
Diameter	33.0 ft (10.1 m)
Empty mass	88,400 lb (40,100 kg)[note 2]
Gross mass	1,093,900 lb (496,200 kg)[note 2]
Powered by	5 Rocketdyne J-2
Maximum thrust	1,155,800 lbf (5,141 kN) vacuum
Specific impulse	421 seconds (4.13 km/s) vacuum
Burn time	360 seconds
Propellant	LH2/LOX
Third stage – S-IVB
Height	61.7 ft (18.8 m)
Diameter	21.7 ft (6.6 m)
Empty mass	29,700 lb (13,500 kg)[3][note 3]
Gross mass	271,000 lb (123,000 kg)[note 3]
Powered by	1 Rocketdyne J-2
Maximum thrust	232,250 lbf (1,033.1 kN) vacuum
Specific impulse	421 seconds (4.13 km/s) vacuum
Burn time	165 + 335 seconds (2 burns)
Propellant	LH2/LOX

The Saturn V rocket was a three-part machine. It stood 111 metres (363 feet) high and weighed 2,903,020 kilograms (6,400,060 pounds). The first rockets were able to carry 44,600 kilograms (98,300 pounds), which went up to 46,800 kilograms (103,200 pounds) for the later Apollo flights.^[6] The first and second stages gave the power needed to lift the rocket off of Earth, intended to break through the atmosphere, so that the weaker third stage could go the rest of the way. The first and second stages each had five engines. The first stage burned kerosene and liquid oxygen together, with the other stages burning a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.^[6]

The first stage engines burned for 168 seconds and was able to lift Apollo about 93 kilometres (58 miles) off of from the launch pad. The second stage burned for about 8 minutes, in order to take Apollo through the upper atmosphere. By this time, it was traveling at 25,182 kilometres per hour (15,647 miles per hour).

The third stage was used for 2 minutes and 30 seconds to put Apollo into an Earth orbit. This was at a height of 191.2 kilometres (118.8 miles) above the Earth. The third stage was started again and burned for 6 minutes to make the speed go up to 40,320 kilometres per hour (25,050 miles per hour) needed to send Apollo off to the Moon.^[7]

Related pages

• Apollo program
• NASA

Notes

1. Includes mass of Apollo Command/Service Modules, Apollo Lunar Module, Spacecraft/LM Adapter, Saturn V Instrument Unit, S-IVB stage, and propellant for translunar injection
2. Includes S-II/S-IVB interstage
3. Includes Instrument Unit