NASA's Mighty Saturn V Moon Rocket Explained

SPACE. www.SPACE.com AMERICA'S MOON ROCKET SATURN V Designed to fly three Apollo astronauts to the moon and back, the Saturn V made its first unmanned test flight in 1967. A total of 13 Saturn Vs were launched from 1967 until 1973, carry- ing Apollo missions as well as the Skylab space station. Every part of the giant rocket is used and then discarded during a mission. Only the tiny command module survives to return to Earth. APOLLO/ SATURN VEHICLE FLIGHT PROFILE LIFTOFF Escape Rocket PULLS THE COMMAND MODULE TO SAFETY IN THE EVENT OF A MALFUNCTION DURING LAUNCH Apollo Spacecraft COMMAND MODULE The first stage's five F-1 rocket engines ignite and produce 7.5 million pounds of thrust FIRST STAGE SEPARATION 02 min. 42 sec. after launch CARRIES THREE ASTRONAUTS AROUND THE MOON Lunar Module Adapter At an altitude of 42 miles (67 kilometers), the F-1 engines shut down. Explosive bolts fire, and the severed first stage falls into the Atlantic Ocean Lunar Module CARRIES TWO OF THE ASTRONAUTS FROM LUNAR ORBIT TO THE INTERSTAGE SEPARATION 03 min. 12 sec. SURFACE OF THE MOON AND BACK S-IVB STAGE 66,770 GALLONS (252,750 LITERS) OF LIQUID HYDROGEN FUEL 19,359 GALLONS (73,280 LITERS) OF LIQUID OXYGEN (NEEDED FOR The second stage's J-2 engines ignite, and the interstage skirt drops away BURNING FUEL IN SPACE) ESCAPE TOWER JETTISON 03 min. 18 sec. J-2 ROCKET ENGINE S-II STAGE 260,000 GALLONS (984,000 LITERS) OF LIQUID HYDROGEN FUEL Useful only up to about 19 miles altitude, the launch escape tower is now dead weight and s discarded SECOND STAGE SEPARATION 09 min. 09 sec. 80,000 GALLONS (303,000 LITERS) OF LIQUID OXYGEN The third stage's single J-2 engine ignites about ten seconds after the second stage is cut loose 5 J-2 ROCKET ENGINES THIRD STAGE SHUTDOWN 11 min. 39 sec. Interstage Adapter At engine cutoff, the Apollo spacecraft has reached a speed of 17,432 miles per hour (28,000 kph) and is in orbit around Earth at an altitude of 118.8 miles (191.2 km) S-IC STAGE TRANS-LUNAR INJECTION 02 hr. 44 min. 16 sec. 318,000 GALLONS (1,204,000 LITERS) OF LIQUID OXYGEN 203,400 GALLONS (770,000 LITERS) OF The third stage's J-2 engine is fired again to break out of Earth orbit and send the vehicle toward the moon KEROSENE FUEL LUNAR MODULE EXTRACTION 04 hr. 17 min. 03 sec. Now on course for the moon, Apollo separates, turns 180 degrees and pulls the lunar module from atop the third stage. Its job finished, the Saturn stage coasts away into space (some missions commanded the third stage to crash into the moon) HUMAN TO SCALE F-1 ROCKET Thrust chamber Nozzle extension ENGINES Gimbal Height 19 ft (5.79 m) Diameter 12.3 ft (3.76 m) Propellants Liquid oxygen, kerosene Mixture ratio 2.27:1 LOX to fuel Burn time 165 seconds Contractors North American Aviation, Rocketdyne HUMAN Turbine exhaust Heat exchanger TO SCALE manifold VEHICLES TO SCALE TOWER AND LAUNCH PLATFORM 398 ft (121m) BOEING 747 232 ft (71 m) APOLLO/SATURN V 363 t (110m) wwwww INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION 356 ft (109 m) ORION/ SPACE LAUNCHI SYSTEM 320 ft (97.5 m) SPACE SHUTTLE 184 ft (56.1 m) HUMAN TO SCALE SATURN V SPACE SHUTTLE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM Payload Apollo/Skylab Shuttle Orbiter Orion Years of operation first launch planned for 2017 1967-1973 1981-2011 Earth orbit, deep space Destinations Earth orbit, moon Earth orbit kerosine, LH2/LOX solid fuel, LH2/LOX solid fuel, LH2/LOX Fuel type Height 363 ft (110 m) 184 ft (56.1 m) 320 ft (97.5 m) Lift capability 130 metric tons 24.4 metric tons 70-77 metric tons 7.5 million lbs (3.4 million kg) 8.4 million lbs (3.8 million kg) Thrust 7.8 million lbs (3.54 million kg) LH2 - liquid hydrogen fuel LOX - liquid oxygen oxidizer Solid fuel - aluminum perchlorate composite mixture SOURCES: NASA, BOEING KARL TATE / © SPACE.com