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Saturn V

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   CAPTION: Saturn V

   The first Saturn V, AS-501, before the launch of Apollo 4
   The first Saturn V, AS-501, before the launch of Apollo 4

                           Fact sheet
   Function          Manned LEO and Lunar launch vehicle
   Manufacturer      Boeing ( S-IC)
                     North American ( S-II)
                     Douglas ( S-IVB)
   Country of origin U.S.A
                              Size
   Height            110.6 m (363 ft)
   Diameter          10.1 m (33 ft)
   Mass              3,038,500 kg (6,699,000 lb)
   Stages            3
                     Capacity
   Payload to LEO    118,000 kg
   Payload to
   Lunar orbit       47,000 kg
                         Launch History
   Status            Retired
   Launch Sites      LC-39, Kennedy Space Centre
   Total launches    12 (+ 1 INT-21)
   Successes         11 (+ 1 INT-21)
   Failures          0
   Partial Failures  1
   Maiden flight     November 9, 1967
   Last flight       December 6, 1972
                       First Stage - S-IC
   Engines           5 Rocketdyne F-1
   Thrust            34.02 MN (7,648,000 lb[f])
   Burn time         150 seconds
   Fuel              RP-1/ LOX
                       Second Stage - S-II
   Engines           5 Rocketdyne J-2
   Thrust            5 MN (1,000,000 lb[f])
   Burn time         360 seconds
   Fuel              LH2/ LOX
                       Third Stage - S-IVB
   Engines           1 Rocketdyne J-2
   Thrust            1 MN (225,000 lb[f])
   Burn time         165 + 335 seconds
                     (2 burns)
   Fuel              LH2/ LOX

   The Saturn V (pronounced 'Saturn Five', popularly known as the Moon
   Rocket) was a multistage liquid-fuel expendable rocket used by NASA's
   Apollo and Skylab programs.

   The largest production model of the Saturn family of rockets, the
   Saturn V was designed under the direction of Wernher von Braun at the
   Marshall Space Flight Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, with Boeing, North
   American Aviation, Douglas Aircraft Company, and IBM as the lead
   contractors. It remains the most powerful launch vehicle ever brought
   to operational status, from a height, weight and payload standpoint,
   although the Russian Energia, which flew only two test missions, had
   slightly more takeoff thrust.

   In all, NASA launched thirteen Saturn V rockets between 1967 and 1973,
   with no loss of payload. The design payload was the manned Apollo
   spacecraft used by NASA for moon landings, and the Saturn V went on to
   launch the Skylab space station.

   The three stages of the Saturn V were developed by various NASA
   contractors, but following a sequence of mergers and takeovers all of
   them are now owned by Boeing. Each first and second stage was test
   fired at the Stennis Space Centre located near Bay St. Louis,
   Mississippi. The facility was later used for the testing and
   verification of both the Space Shuttle Main Engine and the newer RS-68
   rocket engine currently used on the Delta IV EELV rocket and in the
   future, on the Ares V rocket.

Background

   By the early 1960s, the Soviet Union had developed a considerable lead
   in the Space Race against the United States. In 1957, the Soviets had
   launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, and on April 12,
   1961, Yuri Gagarin had become the first human to travel into space.

   On May 25, 1961, President Kennedy announced that America would try to
   land a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. At that time, the only
   experience the United States had with manned spaceflight was the 15
   minute suborbital Freedom 7 flight of Alan Shepard. No rocket in the
   world could launch a manned spacecraft to the Moon in one piece. The
   Saturn I was in development, but had not yet flown, and due to its
   small size, it would require several launches to place in orbit all the
   components of a lunar spacecraft.

   Early in the planning process, NASA considered three leading ideas for
   the moon mission: Earth Orbit Rendezvous, Direct Ascent, and Lunar
   Orbit Rendezvous (LOR). Although NASA at first dismissed LOR
   (considering that rendezvous had yet to be performed in Earth orbit,
   let alone in lunar orbit) in the end NASA decided that this would be
   the quickest and easiest method for achieving Kennedy's goal. See
   Choosing a mission mode for more information.

Development

C-1 to C-4

   Between 1960 and 1962, the Marshall Space Flight Centre (MSFC) designed
   rockets that could be used for various missions.

   The C-1 was developed into the Saturn I, and the C-2 rocket was dropped
   early in the design process in favour of the C-3, which was intended to
   use 2 F-1 engines on its first stage, 4 J-2 engines for its second
   stage, and an S-IV stage, using six RL-10 engines.

   NASA planned to use the C-3 as part of the Earth Orbit Rendezvous
   concept, with at least four or five launches needed for a single
   mission, but MSFC was already planning an even bigger rocket, the C-4,
   which would use four F-1 engines on its first stage, an enlarged C-3
   second stage, and the S-IVB, a stage with a single J-2 engine, as its
   third stage. The C-4 would need only two launches to carry out an Earth
   Orbit Rendezvous mission.

C-5

   On January 10, 1962, NASA announced plans to build the C-5. This would
   have five F-1 engines on its first stage, five J-2 engines on its
   second stage and an S-IVB third stage.

   Originally, the first four flights were to have been tests, first
   successively testing the three stages, followed by an unmanned
   circumlunar mission. A manned flight was intended to follow in 1969.

   In the middle of 1962, NASA decided to use an all-up testing scheme,
   with all three stages tested at once on the very first launch. This
   would drastically shorten the testing and development timeline, and
   reduce the required number of rockets from 25 to 15, but this meant
   that all the stages would have to work perfectly on the first launch.

   In 1963, the C-5 was renamed Saturn V, and Rocketdyne produced the
   first engines.

   In 1966, the F-1 passed NASA's first article configuration inspection
   with complete qualification for manned missions coming on September 6.

   The first Saturn V launch took place on November 9, 1967 with the
   Apollo 4 unmanned spacecraft as payload.

   The first manned launch occurred in December 1968, carrying the Apollo
   8 circumlunar mission.

Technology

   The Saturn V is arguably one of the most impressive machines in human
   history. Over 363 feet (110.6 m) high and 33 feet (10 m) in diameter,
   with a total mass of over three thousand short tons and a payload
   capacity of 260,000 pounds (118,000 kg) to LEO, the Saturn V dwarfed
   and overpowered all other previous rockets which had successfully
   flown. Comparatively, at 364 feet, the Saturn V is just one foot
   shorter than St Paul's Cathedral in London.

   Saturn V was principally designed by the Marshall Space Flight Centre
   in Huntsville, Alabama, although numerous major systems, including
   propulsion, were designed by subcontractors. It used the powerful new
   F-1 and J-2 rocket engines for propulsion. When tested, these engines
   sent tremors through the ground that could be felt from 50 miles (80
   km) away. Designers decided early on to attempt to use as much
   technology from the Saturn I program as possible. As such, the S-IVB
   third stage of the Saturn V was based on the S-IV second stage of the
   Saturn I. The instrument unit that controlled the Saturn V shared
   characteristics with that carried by the Saturn I.

Stages

   Saturn V diagram
   Enlarge
   Saturn V diagram

   On all but one of its flights, the Saturn V consisted of three stages —
   the S-IC first stage, S-II second stage and the S-IVB third stage — and
   the instrument unit. All three stages used liquid oxygen (LOX) as an
   oxidizer. The first stage used RP-1 for fuel, while the second and
   third stages used liquid hydrogen (LH2). All three stages also used
   small solid-fuelled ullage motors that helped to separate the stages
   during the launch, and to ensure that the liquid propellants were in a
   proper position to be drawn into the pumps.

S-IC first stage

   The first stage of Apollo 8 Saturn V being erected in the VAB on
   February 1, 1968
   Enlarge
   The first stage of Apollo 8 Saturn V being erected in the VAB on
   February 1, 1968

   The S-IC was built by The Boeing Company at the Michoud Assembly
   Facility, New Orleans, where the Space Shuttle External Tanks are now
   constructed. As with almost every rocket stage, most of its mass of
   over two thousand metric tonnes at launch was fuel, in this case RP-1
   rocket fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. It was 42 meters tall and 10
   meters in diameter, and provided 34.02 MN of thrust to get the rocket
   through the first 61 kilometers of ascent. The five F-1 engines were
   arranged in a cross pattern. The centre engine was fixed, while the
   four on the outer ring could be hydraulically turned to control the
   rocket.

S-II second stage

   The S-II was built by North American Aviation at Seal Beach,
   California. Using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, it had five J-2
   engines in a similar arrangement to the S-IC. The second stage
   accelerated the Saturn V through the upper atmosphere with 5 MN of
   thrust. When loaded, 97% of the weight of the stage was propellant.
   Instead of having an intertank structure to separate the two fuel tanks
   as was done in the S-IC, the S-II used a common bulkhead that was
   constructed from both the top of the LOX tank and bottom of the LH2
   tank. It consisted of two aluminium sheets separated by a honeycomb
   structure made of phenol. This had to insulate against the 70 °C (125
   °F) temperature difference between the two tanks. The use of a common
   bulkhead saved 3.6 metric tons in weight.
   The Instrument Unit for the Apollo 4 Saturn V
   Enlarge
   The Instrument Unit for the Apollo 4 Saturn V

S-IVB third stage

   The S-IVB was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company at Huntington
   Beach, California. It had one J-2 engine and used the same fuel as the
   S-II. This stage was used twice during the mission: first for the orbit
   insertion after second stage cutoff, and later for the trans lunar
   injection (TLI) burn. The S-IVB also used a common bulkhead to insulate
   the two tanks. The S-IVB was the only rocket stage of the Saturn V
   small enough to be transported by plane, in this case the Super Guppy.
   Apart from the interstage adapter, this stage is nearly identical to
   the second stage of the Saturn IB rocket.

Instrument unit

   The Saturn V Instrument Unit was built by IBM and rode atop the third
   stage. It was constructed at the Space Systems Centre in Huntsville.
   This computer controlled the operations of the rocket from just before
   liftoff until the S-IVB was discarded. It included guidance and
   telemetry systems for the rocket. By measuring the acceleration and
   vehicle attitude, it could calculate the position and velocity of the
   rocket and correct for any deviations.

Range safety

   In the event of an abort requiring the destruction of the rocket, the
   range safety officer would send the signal for shaped explosive charges
   attached to the outer surfaces of the rocket to detonate. These would
   make cuts in fuel and oxidizer tanks to disperse the fuel quickly and
   to minimize mixing. After the Launch Escape Tower had been jettisoned
   the charges were made safe.

Comparisons

   The F-1 engines of the S-IC first stage engines dwarf their creator,
   Wernher von Braun.
   Enlarge
   The F-1 engines of the S-IC first stage engines dwarf their creator,
   Wernher von Braun.
   Saturn V first stage thrust performance during Apollo 15 launch. 7.823
   million pounds (34.8 MN) liftoff thrust.
   Enlarge
   Saturn V first stage thrust performance during Apollo 15 launch. 7.823
   million pounds (34.8 MN) liftoff thrust.

   The Soviet counterpart of the Saturn V was the N-1 rocket. A less
   sophiscated design rendered the N-1's capabilities less than the Saturn
   V even though the N-1 was heavier and had a higher total liftoff
   thrust. The Saturn had a greater payload capacity due to its use of
   more efficient hydrogen in its second and third stages. The Soviets had
   not mastered the use of cryogenic fuels as of the late 1960's. This
   proved a significant advantage for the Americans. In its four test
   launches before cancellation, the N-1 never functioned long enough to
   reach first stage separation successfully - the most successful of
   these failed approximately 10 seconds before separation. The first
   stage of Saturn V used five very powerful engines rather than the
   (controversial) 30 smaller engines of the N-1, necessary as the Soviets
   had not developed similarly powerful engines at that time. During two
   launches, Apollo 6 and Apollo 13, the Saturn V was even able to recover
   from engine loss incidents. The N-1 did have a computer designed to
   compensate for engine failures, but it was poorly engineered and never
   successfully saved a launch from failure—indeed on one occasion it
   reacted to a fault by shutting down all the first stage engines,
   utterly destroying the vehicle and its launch pad. Overall, the main
   reason for the N-1's failures seems to be traceable to lack of all-up
   testing of the first stage, in turn due to insufficient funding.

   The three-stage Saturn V had a peak thrust of at least 34.02 MN (SA-510
   and subsequent) and a lift capacity of 118,000 kg to LEO. The SA-510
   mission (Apollo 15) had a liftoff thrust of 7.823 million pounds (34.8
   MN). No other operational launch vehicle has ever surpassed the Saturn
   V in height, weight, or payload. If the two Russian Energia test
   launches are counted as operational, it had slightly more liftoff
   thrust (35.1 MN).

   Hypothetical future versions of the Soviet Energia would have been
   significantly more powerful than the Saturn V, delivering 46 MN of
   thrust and able to deliver up to 175 metric tonnes to LEO in the
   "Vulkan" configuration. Planned uprated versions of the Saturn V using
   F-1A engines would have had about 18% more thrust and 137,250 kg
   (302,580 lb) payload. NASA contemplated building larger members of the
   Saturn family, including the Nova, but these were never produced.

   The Space Shuttle generates a peak thrust of 30.1 MN , and payload
   capacity to LEO (excl. Shuttle Orbiter itself) is only 28,800 kg.

   Some other recent launch vehicles have a small fraction of the Saturn
   V's payload capacity: The European Ariane 5 with the newest versions
   Ariane 5 ECA delivers up to 10,000 kg to geostationary transfer orbit
   (GTO). The US Delta 4 Heavy, which launched a dummy satellite on
   December 21, 2004, has a capacity of 13,100 kg to geosynchronous
   transfer orbit. The Atlas V rocket (using engines based on a Russian
   design) delivers up to 25,000 kg to LEO and 13,605 kg to GTO.

S-IC thrust comparisons

   Because of its large size, attention is often focused on the S-IC
   thrust and how this compares to other large rockets. However, several
   factors make such comparisons more complex than first appears:
     * Commonly-referenced thrust numbers are a specification, not an
       actual measurement. Individual stages and engines may fall short or
       exceed the specification, sometimes significantly.

     * The F-1 thrust specification was uprated beginning with Apollo 15
       (SA-510) from 1.5 million lbf to 1.522 million lbf, or 7.61 million
       lbf (31.85 MN) for the S-IC stage. The higher thrust was achieved
       via a redesign of the injector orifices and a slightly higher
       propellant mass flow rate. However, comparing the specified number
       to the actual measured thrust of 7.823 million lbf (34.8 MN) on
       Apollo 15 shows a significant difference.

     * There is no "bathroom scale" way to directly measure thrust of a
       rocket in flight. Rather a mathematical calculation is made from
       combustion chamber pressure, turbopump speed, calculated propellant
       density and flow rate, nozzle design, and atmospheric conditions.
     * Thrust varies greatly with altitude, even for a non-throttled
       engine. For example on Apollo 15, the calculated liftoff thrust
       (based on actual measurements) was about 7.823 million lbf, which
       increased to 9.18 million lbf at T+135 seconds, just before centre
       engine cutoff (CECO).
     * Thrust specifications are often given as vacuum thrust or sea level
       thrust, sometimes without qualifying which one. This can lead to
       incorrect comparisons.
     * Thrust specifications are often given as average thrust or peak
       thrust, sometimes without qualifying which one. Even for a
       non-throttled engine at a fixed altitude, thrust can often vary
       somewhat over the firing period due to several factors. These
       include intentional or unintentional mixture ratio changes, slight
       propellant density changes over the firing period, and variations
       in turbopump, nozzle and injector performance over the firing
       period.

   Without knowing the exact measurement technique and mathematical method
   used to determine thrust for each different rocket, comparisons are
   often inexact. As the above shows, the specified thrust often differs
   significantly from actual flight thrust calculated from direct
   measurements. The thrust stated in various references is often not
   adequately qualified as to vacuum vs sea level, or peak vs average
   thrust.

   Similarly, payload increases are often achieved in later missions
   independent of engine thrust. This is by weight reduction or trajectory
   reshaping.

   The result is there is no single absolute figure for engine thrust,
   stage thrust or vehicle payload. There are specified values and actual
   flight values, and various ways of measuring and deriving those actual
   flight values.

   The performance of each Saturn V launch was extensively analyzed and a
   Launch Evaluation Report produced for each mission, which includes a
   thrust/time graph for each vehicle stage on each mission. These are
   available on this page: of the Inside Kennedy Space Centre web site.

Assembly

   The Apollo 10 Saturn V during rollout
   Enlarge
   The Apollo 10 Saturn V during rollout

   After the construction of a stage was completed, it was shipped to the
   Kennedy Space Centre. The first two stages were so large that the only
   way to transport them was by barge. The S-IC constructed in New Orleans
   was transported down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. After
   rounding Florida, it was then transported up the Intra-Coastal Waterway
   to the Vertical Assembly Building (now called the Vehicle Assembly
   Building). The S-II was constructed in California and so travelled via
   the Panama Canal. The third stage and Instrument Unit could be carried
   by the Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy and Super Guppy.

   On arrival at Vertical Assembly Building, each stage was checked out in
   a horizontal position before being moved to a vertical position. NASA
   also constructed large spool shaped structures that could be used in
   place of stages if a particular stage was late. These spools had the
   same height and mass and contained the same electrical connections as
   the actual stages.

   NASA decided to use a mobile launch tower, or " crawler", built by
   Marion Power Shovel of Ohio. This meant that the rocket was constructed
   on the launch pad in the VAB and then the whole structure was moved out
   to the launch site by the crawler, which is still used today by the
   Space Shuttle program. It runs on four double tracked treads, with each
   'shoe' weighing 900 kg. This transporter had to keep the rocket level
   as it travelled the 3 miles (5 km) to the launch site.

Lunar mission launch sequence

   The Saturn V carried the Apollo astronauts to the Moon. All Saturn V
   missions launched from Launch Complex 39 at the John F. Kennedy Space
   Centre. After the rocket cleared the launch tower, mission control
   transferred to the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas.

   An average mission used the rocket for a total of just 20 minutes.
   Although Apollo 6 and Apollo 13 experienced engine failures, the
   onboard computers were able to compensate by burning the remaining
   engines longer, and none of the Apollo launches resulted in a payload
   loss.

S-IC sequence

   The first stage burned for 2.5 minutes, lifting the rocket to an
   altitude of 61 kilometers and a speed of 8600 km/h and burning
   2,000,000 kg of propellant.
   A condensation cloud is seen sticking to the Apollo 11 Saturn V launch
   vehicle as it works its way up through the dense, lower atmosphere.
   Enlarge
   A condensation cloud is seen sticking to the Apollo 11 Saturn V launch
   vehicle as it works its way up through the dense, lower atmosphere.

   At 8.9 seconds before launch, the first stage ignition sequence
   started. The centre engine ignited first, followed by opposing outboard
   pairs at 300-millisecond stagger times to reduce the structural loads
   on the rocket. The moment that full thrust had been confirmed by the
   onboard computers, the rocket was 'soft-released' in two stages: first,
   the hold-down arms released the rocket, and second, as the rocket began
   to accelerate upwards, it was held back somewhat by tapered metal pins
   being pulled through holes. The latter lasted for half a second. Once
   the rocket had lifted off, it could not safely settle back down onto
   the pad if the engines failed.

   It took about 12 seconds for the rocket to clear the tower. As it moved
   past the tower, the rocket yawed away to ensure adequate clearance, in
   case of adverse winds or engine failures. At an altitude of 130 meters
   (430 feet) the rocket began to roll and then pitch to the correct
   azimuth. From launch until 38 seconds after second stage ignition, the
   Saturn V would fly a preprogrammed pitch program biased for the
   prevailing winds during the launch month. The four outboard engines
   also tilted away from the centre, so that if one engine had shut down
   early, the thrust of the remaining engines would have been towards the
   rocket's centre of gravity. The Saturn V quickly accelerated, reaching
   500 m/s at 2 km in altitude. Much of the early portion of the flight
   was spent gaining altitude, with the required velocity coming later.

   At about 80 seconds, the rocket reached the point of the flight with
   the maximum dynamic pressure, known as Max Q. The dynamic pressure on a
   rocket is proportional to the air density around the rocket and the
   square of the speed. Although the speed is increasing, the air density
   is decreasing as the rocket gets higher.

   At 135.5 seconds, the centre engine would shut down to reduce the
   acceleration loads on the rocket, since it became lighter as fuel was
   used. The F-1 engine was not throttlable so this was the easiest
   method. The crew also experienced their greatest acceleration, 4 g (39
   m/s²), just before first stage cut off. The other engines continued to
   burn until either the oxidizer or fuel was depleted as measured by
   sensors in the suction assemblies. 600 milliseconds after the engine
   cutoff, the first stage separated with the help of the eight small
   solid fuel seperation motors. This occurred at an altitude of about 62
   km. The first stage continued to an altitude of 110 km, then fell in
   the Atlantic Ocean about 560 km from the launch pad.

S-II sequence

   Still from film footage of Apollo 6's interstage falling away (NASA)
   Enlarge
   Still from film footage of Apollo 6's interstage falling away (NASA)

   After the S-IC sequence, the S-II second stage burned for 6 minutes and
   propelled the craft to 185 km and 24,600 km/h, bringing it close to
   orbital velocity.

   The second stage had a two-part ignition process. In the first part,
   eight solid-fuel ullage motors ignited for four seconds to give
   positive acceleration, followed by the five J-2 engines. In the second
   part, about 30 seconds after the first stage separated, the aft
   interstage separated from the second stage. This was a precisely
   controlled maneuver as the interstage could not be allowed to touch the
   engines and had a clearance of only one meter. At the same time as the
   interstage separated, the Launch Escape System was jettisoned. See
   Apollo abort modes for more information about the various abort modes
   that could have been used during a launch.

   About 38 seconds after the second stage ignition, the control guidance
   of the Saturn V switched from a preprogrammed pitch routine to
   Iterative Guidance Mode, controlled by the Instrument Unit, based on
   accelerometers and altitude sensors. If the Instrument Unit took the
   rocket outside allowed limits the crew could either abort or take
   control of the rocket using one of the rotational hand controllers in
   the capsule.

   About 90 seconds before the second stage cutoff, the centre engine shut
   down to reduce longitudinal pogo oscillations. A pogo suppressor, first
   flown on Apollo 14, stopped this pogo motion but the centre engine was
   still shut down early. At around this time, the LOX flow rate
   decreased, changing the mix ratio of the two propellants, ensuring that
   there would be as little propellant as possible left in the tanks at
   the end of second stage flight. This was done at a predetermined
   delta-v.

   There were five sensors in the bottom of each tank of the S-II. When
   two of these were uncovered, the Instrument Unit would initiate the
   staging sequence. One second after the second stage cut off it
   separated and a tenth of a second later the third stage ignited. The
   S-II impacted about 4200 km from the launch site.

S-IVB sequence

   The third stage burned for a further 2.5 minutes, about 12 minutes
   after launch. The third stage remained attached while the spacecraft
   orbited the Earth two and a half times in a 'parking orbit' while
   astronauts examined the spacecraft and rocket to make sure everything
   functioned nominally.

   Unlike with the previous separation, there was no two-stage separation.
   The interstage between the second and third stages remained attached to
   the second stage (although it was constructed as part of the third
   stage).
   The S-IVB stage from the Apollo 7 flight in Earth orbit. Although
   Apollo 7 used a Saturn IB booster, the S-IVB stage was used on both the
   Saturn IB and Saturn V. On Saturn V flights the four Spacecraft/LM
   Adapter panels would be jettisoned to allow access to the Lunar Module
   Enlarge
   The S-IVB stage from the Apollo 7 flight in Earth orbit. Although
   Apollo 7 used a Saturn IB booster, the S-IVB stage was used on both the
   Saturn IB and Saturn V. On Saturn V flights the four Spacecraft/LM
   Adapter panels would be jettisoned to allow access to the Lunar Module

   By 10 minutes 30 seconds into the launch, the Saturn V was 164 km in
   altitude and 1700 km downrange from the launch site. After about 5 more
   minutes of burning, the rocket cut off. The spacecraft was now in an
   orbit of about 180 km by 165 km. This is quite low by Earth orbit
   standards and would not have remained stable for very long due to
   interaction between the spacecraft and the Earth's atmosphere. For the
   two Earth orbit missions of the Saturn V, Apollo 9 and Skylab, the
   orbit would have been higher. The next two and a half orbits were spent
   checking out the systems of the spacecraft and preparing the spacecraft
   for Trans Lunar Injection (TLI).

   TLI came about 2 and a half hours after launch, when the third stage
   reignited to propel the spacecraft to the Moon. The S-IVB burned for
   almost 6 minutes so that the total spacecraft velocity at cutoff was
   over 10 km/s, escape velocity.

   A couple of hours after TLI the Apollo Command Service Module (CSM)
   separated from the third stage, turned 180 degrees, and docked with the
   Lunar Module (LM) which rode below the CSM during launch. The CSM and
   LM then separated from the third stage.

   If it were to remain on the same trajectory as the spacecraft, the
   booster could have presented a hazard later in the mission, so the
   remaining propellant in its tanks was vented out of the engine,
   changing its trajectory. For third stages from Apollo 13 onwards,
   controllers directed it to impact the Moon. Seismometers left behind by
   previous missions detected the impacts, and the information helped map
   the inside of the Moon. Before that, the stages (except Apollo 9 and
   Apollo 12) were directed towards a flyby of the Moon that sent them
   into a solar orbit. Apollo 9's S-IVB was put directly into a solar
   orbit.

   Apollo 12's S-IVB stage, on the other hand, had a different fate. On
   September 3, 2002, Bill Yeung discovered a suspected asteroid which he
   gave the temporary designation J002E3. It appeared to be in orbit
   around the Earth, and was soon discovered from spectral analysis to be
   covered in white titanium dioxide paint, the same paint used for the
   Saturn V. Mission controllers had planned to send Apollo 12's S-IVB
   into solar orbit but the burn after separating from the Apollo
   spacecraft lasted too long, it did not pass close enough to the Moon
   and ended up in a barely-stable orbit around the Earth and Moon. In
   1971 through a series of gravitational perturbations it is thought to
   have entered in a solar orbit and then returned to orbit the Earth 31
   years later. It left Earth orbit in June 2003.
   The last Saturn V launch carried the Skylab space station to low Earth
   orbit in place of the third stage.
   Enlarge
   The last Saturn V launch carried the Skylab space station to low Earth
   orbit in place of the third stage.

Skylab

   In 1968, the Apollo Applications Program was created to look into
   science missions that could be performed with the surplus Apollo
   hardware. Much of the planning centered on the idea of a space station,
   which eventually spawned the Skylab programme. The launch of Skylab
   (using the Saturn INT-21, a two stage derivative of the Saturn V) was
   the only Saturn V launch not directly related to the Apollo lunar
   landing program.

   Originally it was planned to use a 'wet workshop' concept, with a
   rocket stage being launched into orbit and outfitted in space, but this
   was abandoned for the 'dry workshop' concept: An S-IVB stage from a
   Saturn IB was converted into a space station on the ground and launched
   on a Saturn V. A backup, constructed from a Saturn V third stage, is
   now on display at the National Air and Space Museum.

   Three crews lived aboard Skylab from May 25, 1973 to February 8, 1974,
   with Skylab remaining in orbit until May 1979.

   It was originally hoped that Skylab would stay in orbit long enough to
   be visited by the Space Shuttle during its first few flights. The
   Shuttle could have raised Skylab's orbit, and allowed it to be used as
   a base for future space stations. However, the Shuttle didn't fly until
   1981 and it is now realized in retrospect that Skylab would have been
   of little use, as it was not designed to be refurbished and replenished
   with supplies.

Proposed post-Apollo developments

   The (cancelled) second production run of Saturn Vs would very likely
   have used the F-1A engine in its first stage, providing a substantial
   performance boost. Other likely changes would have been the removal of
   the fins (which turned out to provide little benefit when compared to
   their weight); a stretched S-IC first stage to support the more
   powerful F-1As; and uprated J-2s for the upper stages.

   A number of alternate Saturn vehicles were proposed based on the Saturn
   V, ranging from the Saturn INT-20 with an S-IVB stage and interstage
   mounted directly onto an S-IC stage, through to the Saturn V-23(L)
   which would not only have five F-1 engines in the first stage, but also
   four strap-on boosters with two F-1 engines each: giving a total of
   thirteen F-1 engines firing at launch!

   The Space Shuttle was initially conceived of as a cargo transport to be
   used in concert with the Saturn V, even to the point that a " Saturn
   Shuttle," using the current orbiter and external tank, but with the
   tank mounted on a modified, fly-back version of the S-IC, would be used
   to power the Shuttle during the first two minutes of flight, after
   which the S-IC would be jettisoned (which will then fly back to KSC for
   refurbishment) and the Space Shuttle Main Engines would then fire and
   place the orbiter into orbit. The Shuttle would handle space station
   logistics, while Saturn V would launch components. Lack of a second
   Saturn V production run killed this plan and has left the United States
   without a heavy-lift booster. Some in the U.S. space community have
   come to lament this situation, as continued production would have
   allowed the International Space Station, using a Skylab or Mir
   configuration with both U.S. and Russian docking ports, to have been
   lifted with just a handful of launches, with the "Saturn Shuttle"
   concept possibility elmininating the conditions that caused the
   Challenger Disaster in 1986.

   The Saturn V would have been the prime launch vehicle for the cancelled
   Voyager Mars probes, and was to have been the launch vehicle for the
   nuclear rocket stage RIFT test program and the later NERVA.

Successors

   U.S. proposals for a rocket larger than the Saturn V from the late
   1950s through the early 1980s were generally called Nova. Over thirty
   different large rocket proposals carried the Nova name.

   Wernher von Braun and others also had plans for a rocket that would
   have featured eight F-1 engines in its first stage allowing it to
   launch a manned spacecraft on a direct ascent flight to the Moon. Other
   plans for the Saturn V called for using a Centaur as an upper stage or
   adding strap-on boosters. These enhancements would have increased its
   ability to send large unmanned spacecraft to the outer planets or
   manned spacecraft to Mars.

   As of 2006, NASA plans to build the heavy-lift Ares V, a Shuttle
   Derived Launch Vehicle approximately the same height and weight class
   of the Saturn V. The launcher has been named as a homage to the Saturn
   V. It is intended as an unmanned heavy lift vehicle for future manned
   missions to the moon and possibly later Mars.

   Unlike the 3-stage Saturn V, the two stage Ares V features a 33-foot
   diameter core stage (the same diameter as both the S-IC and S-II
   stages) fueled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and assisted
   during the first two minutes of powered flight by a pair of modified
   Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters which will have five segments in
   place of the current four. The core stage will be powered by five RS-68
   rocket engines in the same cross pattern as that used on the S-IC and
   S-II stages. Originally the Ares V was to have used five Space Shuttle
   Main Engines, but the switch to the RS-68 was based on both costs, and
   its successful flight use on the unmanned Delta IV EELV launch system,
   along with being more powerful and easier to construct than its SSME
   counterpart.

   The RS-68 engines, built by the Rocketdyne Division of Pratt and
   Whitney (formerly under the ownerships of Boeing and Rockwell
   International) are more efficient than the Saturn V's F-1 engines, but
   the J-2 engine used on the S-II and S-IVB will be modified into the
   improved J-2X engine for use on the Earth Departure Stage (EDS), a
   beefed-up version of the S-IVB on the Ares V, and on the second stage
   of the proposed Ares I. Both the EDS and the Ares I second stage would
   use a single J-2X motor, although the EDS was originally designed to
   use two motors until the redesign employing the five RS-68s in place of
   the five SSMEs.

Cost

   From 1964 until 1973, a total of $US6.5 billion was appropriated for
   the Saturn V, with the maximum being in 1966 with $US1.2 billion.

   One of the main reasons for the cancellation of the Apollo program was
   the cost. In 1966, NASA received its highest budget of $US4.5 billion,
   about 0.5% of the GDP of the United States at that time. In the same
   year, the Department of Defense received $63.5 billion.

Saturn V vehicles and launches

   The Saturn V launched day or night, in foul weather or fair, at the
   appropriate time to reach its destination, as shown in this montage of
   all launches.
   Enlarge
   The Saturn V launched day or night, in foul weather or fair, at the
   appropriate time to reach its destination, as shown in this montage of
   all launches.
   Serial Number Mission Launch Date Notes

                                   SA-501

   Apollo 4 November 9, 1967 First test flight

                                   SA-502

   Apollo 6 April 4, 1968 Second test flight

                                   SA-503

   Apollo 8 December 21, 1968 First manned flight of Saturn V and lunar
   orbit

                                   SA-504

   Apollo 9 March 3, 1969 Earth orbit LM test

                                   SA-505

   Apollo 10 May 18, 1969 Lunar orbit LM test

                                   SA-506

   Apollo 11 July 16, 1969 First manned lunar landing

                                   SA-507

   Apollo 12 November 14, 1969 Landed near Surveyor 3

                                   SA-508

   Apollo 13 April 11, 1970 Mission aborted, crew saved.

                                   SA-509

   Apollo 14 January 31, 1971 Landed near Fra Mauro

                                   SA-510

   Apollo 15 July 26, 1971 First Lunar Rover

                                   SA-511

   Apollo 16 April 16, 1972 Landed at Descartes

                                   SA-512

   Apollo 17 December 6, 1972 First and only night launch; Final Apollo
   lunar mission

                                   SA-513

   Skylab 1 May 14, 1973 Two-stage Skylab version ( Saturn INT-21)

                                   SA-514

   Unused Designated but never used for Apollo18/19

                                   SA-515

   Unused Designated but never used as a backup Skylab launch vehicle

   Currently there are three Saturn Vs on display, all displayed
   horizontally:
   A Saturn V on display at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville,
   Alabama.
   Enlarge
   A Saturn V on display at the U.S. Space & Rocket Centre in Huntsville,
   Alabama.
     * At the Johnson Space Centre made up of first stage of SA-514, the
       second stage from SA-515 and the third stage from SA-513.
     * At the Kennedy Space Centre made up of S-IC-T (test stage) and the
       second and third stages from SA-514.
     * At the U.S. Space & Rocket Centre, made up of S-IC-D, S-II-F/D and
       S-IVB-D (all test stages not meant for actual flight).

   Of these three, only the one at the Johnson Space Centre consists
   entirely of stages meant to be launched. The U.S. Space & Rocket Centre
   in Huntsville also has on display an erect full scale model of the
   Saturn V. The first stage from SA-515 resides at the Michoud Assembly
   Facility, New Orleans, Louisiana and the third stage was converted for
   use as backup Skylab. Backup Skylab is now on display at the National
   Air and Space Museum.

   A popular, though untrue urban legend, started in 1996, states that
   NASA has lost or destroyed the blueprints or other plans for the Saturn
   V. In fact, the plans still exist on microfilm at the Marshall Space
   Flight Centre.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_V"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
