Jul 31 2009
Introducing the Saturn V
For the last two weeks, our series on Rocketry and the Apollo spacecraft was place on hold while we focused on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. This entire series of posts on rocketry and the focus of the Apollo Saturn V rocket were enhanced by the occurrence of the anniversary of this historic event. We now resume our regular mission of the study of the systems of the Apollo Saturn V, which we were previously about to begin.
Development on the Saturn V rocket was started in 1962 at the Marshall Spaceflight Center with the development and testing of the C1 – C4 rockets. The C-1 rocket became the Saturn 1 vehicle, the C-2 was dropped from production, the C-3 rocket was designed to use two F-1 engines in the first stage, four J-2 engines in the second stage and six RL-10 engines in the third. The C-3 rocket was originally going to be used by NASA in Earth Rendezvous missions. NASA soon began development on a larger and more powerful rocket, the C-4, which would use 4 F-1 engines on the first stage, and a modified C-3 as the second stage, and a third stage with a single J-2 engine.
As further developments and testing occurred, NASA realized that it was still in need of more power to move men and equipment to Earth orbit and beyond. Testing and development began on the C-5 rocket to provide the increased power and lifting capability needed for the Apollo missions. The C-5 rocket was designed as a three stage rocket that used 5 F-1 engines in the first stage, five J-2 engines for the second stage, and a third stage with a single J-2 engine. (We will look at the engines in a future post).
In 1963, NASA selected the C-5 rocket to be the one that would work for Apollo. It was renamed to the Saturn V and is the most powerful rocket built to carry man and equipment into space and beyond. The Apollo Saturn V rocket stood 363 feet tall, it had a base diameter of 33 feet without the fins and when fully fueled, it weighed in at 6.5 million pounds and had a payload capacity of 260,000 pounds. Join us next time as we explore the first stage of this mighty rocket!
