Saturn IB
Encyclopedia
The Saturn IB was an American launch vehicle commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) for use in the Apollo program. It was an uprated version of the Saturn I
rocket, which replaced its S-IV
second stage with the much more powerful S-IVB
, which gave it enough payload capability to allow it be used for early testing of the Apollo spacecraft while the larger Saturn V
needed to send Apollo to the Moon was still being developed. Unlike the earlier Saturn I, it could launch either the partially fueled Apollo Command/Service Module
(CSM), or the fully fueled Lunar Module
(LM) into low Earth orbit
.
The Saturn IB was used for two unmanned CSM suborbital flights, one unmanned LM orbital flight, and for the first manned CSM orbital mission (first planned for Apollo 1
, later Apollo 7
). It was also used for one orbital mission, AS-203
, in which it carried neither a CSM nor a LM, so that the S-IVB would have unburned liquid hydrogen
fuel remaining in its tank in orbit. The purpose of this mission was to support design of the restartable version of the S-IVB used in the Saturn V, by observing the behavior of the liquid hydrogen in weightlessness
.
After completion of the Apollo Moon landing program, the Saturn IB was used to launch the Apollo CSM on three crew missions to the Skylab
space station, and a joint US-USSR space mission, the Apollo Soyuz Test Project.
The S-IB stage was built by the Chrysler
corporation at the Michoud Assembly Facility
, New Orleans
. It was powered by eight H-1 rocket engine
s burning RP-1
fuel with liquid oxygen
(LOX). Eight Redstone tanks (four holding fuel and four holding LOX) were clustered around a Jupiter rocket LOX tank. The four outboard engines were mounted on gimbal
s, allowing them to be steered to control the rocket. Eight fins surrounding the base thrust structure provided aerodynamic stability and control.
The S-IVB was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company
at Huntington Beach, California
. The S-IVB-200 model was similar to the S-IVB-500 third stage used on the Saturn V
, with the exception of the interstage adapter, smaller auxiliary propulsion control modules, and lack of on-orbit engine restart capability. It was powered by a single J-2
engine. The propellant and oxidizer tanks shared a common bulkhead, which saved about ten tons of weight and reduced vehicle length over ten feet.
The Instrument Unit was built by IBM
and rode atop the S-IVB stage. It was constructed at the Space Systems Center 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 continuously calculated the position and velocity of the rocket and corrected for any deviations.
The original Saturn IBs for Apollo were launched from LC-34
and LC-37
, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
.
The Saturn IB was later used for manned Skylab
flights, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
. This final production run did not have the alternating black and white tanks on the first stage that were hallmarks of the earlier runs. These launches were made from LC-39B
, Kennedy Space Center
, using a "milkstool" apparatus to hold the rocket up at a height to reach the Mobile Launcher Platform
's crew access arm.
For earlier launches of vehicles in the Saturn I series, see the list in the Saturn I
article.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
(NASA) for use in the Apollo program. It was an uprated version of the Saturn I
Saturn I
The Saturn I was the United States' first heavy-lift dedicated space launcher, a rocket designed specifically to launch large payloads into low Earth orbit. Most of the rocket's power came from a clustered lower stage consisting of tanks taken from older rocket designs and strapped together to make...
rocket, which replaced its S-IV
S-IV
The S-IV was the second stage of the Saturn I, a rocket-powered launch vehicle used by NASA for early flights in the Apollo program.The S-IV was manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company and later modified by them to the S-IVB, a similar but distinct stage used on the Saturn IB and Saturn V...
second stage with the much more powerful S-IVB
S-IVB
The S-IVB was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company and served as the third stage on the Saturn V and second stage on the Saturn IB. It had one J-2 engine...
, which gave it enough payload capability to allow it be used for early testing of the Apollo spacecraft while the larger Saturn V
Saturn V
The Saturn V was an American human-rated expendable rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973. A multistage liquid-fueled launch vehicle, NASA launched 13 Saturn Vs from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida with no loss of crew or payload...
needed to send Apollo to the Moon was still being developed. Unlike the earlier Saturn I, it could launch either the partially fueled Apollo Command/Service Module
Apollo Command/Service Module
The Command/Service Module was one of two spacecraft, along with the Lunar Module, used for the United States Apollo program which landed astronauts on the Moon. It was built for NASA by North American Aviation...
(CSM), or the fully fueled Lunar Module
Apollo Lunar Module
The Apollo Lunar Module was the lander portion of the Apollo spacecraft built for the US Apollo program by Grumman to carry a crew of two from lunar orbit to the surface and back...
(LM) into low Earth orbit
Low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
.
The Saturn IB was used for two unmanned CSM suborbital flights, one unmanned LM orbital flight, and for the first manned CSM orbital mission (first planned for Apollo 1
Apollo 1
Apollo 1 was scheduled to be the first manned mission of the Apollo manned lunar landing program, with a target launch date of February 21, 1967. A cabin fire during a launch pad test on January 27 at Launch Pad 34 at Cape Canaveral killed all three crew members: Command Pilot Virgil "Gus"...
, later Apollo 7
Apollo 7
Apollo 7 was the first manned mission in the American Apollo space program, and the first manned US space flight after a cabin fire killed the crew of what was to have been the first manned mission, AS-204 , during a launch pad test in 1967...
). It was also used for one orbital mission, AS-203
AS-203
AS-203 was an unmanned flight of the Saturn IB rocket on July 5, 1966. It carried no Apollo Command/Service Module spacecraft, as its purpose was to verify the design of the S-IVB rocket stage restart capability that would later be used in the Apollo program to boost astronauts from Earth orbit to...
, in which it carried neither a CSM nor a LM, so that the S-IVB would have unburned liquid hydrogen
Liquid hydrogen
Liquid hydrogen is the liquid state of the element hydrogen. Hydrogen is found naturally in the molecular H2 form.To exist as a liquid, H2 must be pressurized above and cooled below hydrogen's Critical point. However, for hydrogen to be in a full liquid state without boiling off, it needs to be...
fuel remaining in its tank in orbit. The purpose of this mission was to support design of the restartable version of the S-IVB used in the Saturn V, by observing the behavior of the liquid hydrogen in weightlessness
Weightlessness
Weightlessness is the condition that exists for an object or person when they experience little or no acceleration except the acceleration that defines their inertial trajectory, or the trajectory of pure free-fall...
.
After completion of the Apollo Moon landing program, the Saturn IB was used to launch the Apollo CSM on three crew missions to the Skylab
Skylab
Skylab was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a mass of...
space station, and a joint US-USSR space mission, the Apollo Soyuz Test Project.
Specifications
NASA defines the term launch vehicle to refer to all rocket stages and guidance system used to launch a spacecraft, and the term space vehicle for the entire launch stack (launch vehicle plus spacecraft, including any shrouds or adapters.)Launch vehicle
| Parameter | S-IB 1st Stage | S-IVB-200 2nd Stage | Instrument Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 80.17 ft (24.4 m) | 58.42 ft (17.8 m) | 3 ft (0.9144 m) |
| Diameter | 21.42 ft (6.5 m) | 21.67 ft (6.6 m) | 21.67 ft (6.6 m) |
| Structural mass | 92500 lb (41,957.3 kg) | 23400 lb (10,614.1 kg) | 4400 lb (1,995.8 kg) |
| Propellant | RP-1/LOX | LH2/LOX | N/A |
| Propellant mass | 880500 lb (399,388.1 kg) | 228500 lb (103,645.9 kg) | N/A |
| Engines | Eight - H-1 | One - J-2 | N/A |
| Thrust | 1600000 lbf (7,117.2 kN) sea level | 200000 lbf (889.6 kN) vacuum | N/A |
| Burn duration | 150 s | 480 s | N/A |
| Specific impulse | 272 s (2.66 kN·s/kg) sea level | 420 s (4.12 kN·s/kg) vacuum | N/A |
Payload configurations
| Parameter | Command/Service Module | Apollo 5 Apollo 5 Apollo 5 was the first unmanned flight of the Apollo Lunar Module, which would later carry astronauts to the lunar surface. It lifted off on January 22, 1968 with a Saturn IB rocket.-Objectives:... |
AS-203 AS-203 AS-203 was an unmanned flight of the Saturn IB rocket on July 5, 1966. It carried no Apollo Command/Service Module spacecraft, as its purpose was to verify the design of the S-IVB rocket stage restart capability that would later be used in the Apollo program to boost astronauts from Earth orbit to... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch Escape System mass | 9200 lb (4,173 kg) | N/A | N/A |
| Apollo Command/Service Module Apollo Command/Service Module The Command/Service Module was one of two spacecraft, along with the Lunar Module, used for the United States Apollo program which landed astronauts on the Moon. It was built for NASA by North American Aviation... mass |
36400 lb (16,510.8 kg) to 46000 lb (20,865.2 kg) |
N/A | N/A |
| Apollo Lunar Module Apollo Lunar Module The Apollo Lunar Module was the lander portion of the Apollo spacecraft built for the US Apollo program by Grumman to carry a crew of two from lunar orbit to the surface and back... mass |
N/A | 31650 lb (14,356.2 kg) | N/A |
| Spacecraft LM Adapter mass | 4050 lb (1,837 kg) | 4050 lb (1,837 kg) | N/A |
| Nose cone Nose cone The term nose cone is used to refer to the forwardmost section of a rocket, guided missile or aircraft. The cone is shaped to offer minimum aerodynamic resistance... height |
N/A | 8.3 ft (2.5 m) | 27.7 ft (8.4 m) |
| Payload height | 81.8 ft (24.9 m) | 36.3 ft (11.1 m) | 27.7 ft (8.4 m) |
| Total space vehicle height | 223.4 ft (68.1 m) | 177.9 ft (54.2 m) | 169.4 ft (51.6 m) |
S-IB stage
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
corporation at the Michoud Assembly Facility
Michoud Assembly Facility
The Michoud Assembly Facility is an 832-acre site owned by NASA and located in New Orleans East, a large district within the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Organizationally, it is part of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center...
, New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. It was powered by eight H-1 rocket engine
H-1 (rocket engine)
Rocketdyne's H-1 is a thrust liquid-propellant rocket engine burning LOX and RP-1. The H-1 was developed for use in the S-IB first stage of the Saturn I and Saturn IB rockets, where it was used in clusters of eight engines...
s burning RP-1
RP-1
RP-1 is a highly refined form of kerosene outwardly similar to jet fuel, used as a rocket fuel. Although having a lower specific impulse than liquid hydrogen , RP-1 is cheaper, can be stored at room temperature, is far less of an explosive hazard and is far denser...
fuel with liquid oxygen
Liquid oxygen
Liquid oxygen — abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries — is one of the physical forms of elemental oxygen.-Physical properties:...
(LOX). Eight Redstone tanks (four holding fuel and four holding LOX) were clustered around a Jupiter rocket LOX tank. The four outboard engines were mounted on gimbal
Gimbal
A gimbal is a pivoted support that allows the rotation of an object about a single axis. A set of two gimbals, one mounted on the other with pivot axes orthogonal, may be used to allow an object mounted on the innermost gimbal to remain immobile regardless of the motion of its support...
s, allowing them to be steered to control the rocket. Eight fins surrounding the base thrust structure provided aerodynamic stability and control.
- Height: 80.17 ft (24.4 m)
- Diameter: 21.42 ft (6.5 m)
- Number of fins: 8
- Finspan: 39.42 ft (12 m)
- Engines: 8 H-1H-1 (rocket engine)Rocketdyne's H-1 is a thrust liquid-propellant rocket engine burning LOX and RP-1. The H-1 was developed for use in the S-IB first stage of the Saturn I and Saturn IB rockets, where it was used in clusters of eight engines...
- Thrust: 1600000 lbf (7,117.2 kN)
- Fuel: RP-1RP-1RP-1 is a highly refined form of kerosene outwardly similar to jet fuel, used as a rocket fuel. Although having a lower specific impulse than liquid hydrogen , RP-1 is cheaper, can be stored at room temperature, is far less of an explosive hazard and is far denser...
(Refined keroseneKeroseneKerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
) 41,000 US gal (155 m3) - Oxidizer: Liquid oxygenOxygenOxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
(LOXLoxLox is salmon fillet that has been cured. In its most popular form, it is thinly sliced—less than in thickness—and, typically, served on a bagel, often with cream cheese, onion, tomato, cucumber and capers...
) 66,000 US gal (250 m3) - Burn time: 2.5 min
- Burnout altitude: 37 nmi (68.5 km)
S-IVB-200 stage
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
at Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
. The S-IVB-200 model was similar to the S-IVB-500 third stage used on the Saturn V
Saturn V
The Saturn V was an American human-rated expendable rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973. A multistage liquid-fueled launch vehicle, NASA launched 13 Saturn Vs from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida with no loss of crew or payload...
, with the exception of the interstage adapter, smaller auxiliary propulsion control modules, and lack of on-orbit engine restart capability. It was powered by a single J-2
J-2 (rocket engine)
Rocketdyne's J-2 rocket engine was a major component of the Saturn V rocket used in the Apollo program to send men to the Moon. Five J-2 engines were used on the S-II second stage, and one J-2 was used on the S-IVB third stage. The S-IVB was also used as the second stage of the smaller Saturn IB...
engine. The propellant and oxidizer tanks shared a common bulkhead, which saved about ten tons of weight and reduced vehicle length over ten feet.
- Height: 58.42 ft (17.8 m)
- Diameter: 21.67 ft (6.6 m)
- Engines: 1 J-2
- Thrust: 200000 lbf (889.6 kN)
- Fuel: Liquid hydrogenHydrogenHydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
(LH2) 64,000 US gal (242 m3) - Oxidizer: Liquid oxygenOxygenOxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
(LOXLoxLox is salmon fillet that has been cured. In its most popular form, it is thinly sliced—less than in thickness—and, typically, served on a bagel, often with cream cheese, onion, tomato, cucumber and capers...
) 20,000 US gal (76 m3) - Burn time: approx. 7 min
- Burnout altitude (for Saturn IB): orbit
Instrument Unit
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
and rode atop the S-IVB stage. It was constructed at the Space Systems Center 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
Telemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
systems for the rocket. By measuring the acceleration and vehicle attitude, it continuously calculated the position and velocity of the rocket and corrected for any deviations.
Launch sequence events
| Launch event | Time (s) | Altitude (km) | Range (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition Command | -3.02 | . | . |
| First Motion | -0.19 | . | . |
| Liftoff | 0.00 | . | . |
| Initiate Pitch Maneuver | 10.0 | . | . |
| Initiate Roll Maneuver | 10.0 | . | . |
| End Roll Maneuver | 38.0 | . | . |
| Mach One | 62.18 | 7.63 | . |
| Max Q | 75.5 | 12.16 | . |
| Freeze Tilt | 134.40 | . | . |
| Inboard Engine Cutoff | 140.65 | . | . |
| Outboard Engine Cutoff | 144.32 | . | . |
| Ullage Rockets Ignition | 145.37 | . | . |
| S-IB / S-IVB Separation | 145.59 | . | . |
| S-IVB Ignition | 146.97 | . | . |
| Ullage Rocket Burnout | 148.33 | . | . |
| Ullage Rocket Jettison | 156.58 | . | . |
| Jettison LES | 163.28 | . | . |
| Start Pitch Over | 613.95 | . | . |
| S-IVB Cutoff | 616.76 | . | . |
| Orbit Insertion | 626.76 | . | . |
| Start S/C Sep Sequence | 663.11 | . | . |
| Spacecraft Separation | 728.31 | . | . |
Saturn IB vehicles and launches
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34 is a launch site on Cape Canaveral, Florida. LC-34 and its twin to the north, LC-37, were used by NASA as part of the Apollo Program to launch Saturn I and IB rockets from 1961 through 1968...
and LC-37
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 37
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 37 , previously Launch Complex 37 , is a launch complex on Cape Canaveral, Florida. Construction began in 1959 and the site was accepted by NASA to support the Saturn I program in 1963. The complex consists of two launch pads...
, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
.
The Saturn IB was later used for manned Skylab
Skylab
Skylab was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a mass of...
flights, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
-Backup crew:-Crew notes:Jack Swigert had originally been assigned as the command module pilot for the ASTP prime crew, but prior to the official announcement he was removed as punishment for his involvement in the Apollo 15 postage stamp scandal.-Soyuz crew:...
. This final production run did not have the alternating black and white tanks on the first stage that were hallmarks of the earlier runs. These launches were made from LC-39B
Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39
Launch Complex 39 is a rocket launch site at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida, USA. The site and its collection of facilities were originally built for the Apollo program, and later modified to support Space Shuttle operations. NASA began modifying LC-39 in 2007 to...
, Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
, using a "milkstool" apparatus to hold the rocket up at a height to reach the Mobile Launcher Platform
Mobile Launcher Platform
The Mobile Launcher Platform or MLP is one of three two-story structures used by NASA to support the Space Shuttle stack during its transportation from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center as well as serve as the vehicle's launch platform...
's crew access arm.
| Serial Number |
Mission | Spacecraft Mass (kg) |
Launch Date |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA-201 | AS-201 AS-201 AS-201 , flown February 26, 1966, was the first unmanned test flight of an entire production Block I Apollo Command/Service Module and the Saturn IB launch vehicle. The spacecraft consisted of the second Block I command module and the first Block I service module... |
20,820 | February 26, 1966 | Unmanned suborbital test of Block I CSM (Command/Service Module) |
| SA-203 | AS-203 AS-203 AS-203 was an unmanned flight of the Saturn IB rocket on July 5, 1966. It carried no Apollo Command/Service Module spacecraft, as its purpose was to verify the design of the S-IVB rocket stage restart capability that would later be used in the Apollo program to boost astronauts from Earth orbit to... |
None | July 5, 1966 | Unmanned test of unburned LH2 behavior in orbit to support S-IVB-500 restart design |
| SA-202 | AS-202 AS-202 AS-202 was the second unmanned, suborbital test flight of a production Block I Apollo Command/Service Module launched with the Saturn IB launch vehicle. It launched August 25, 1966 and was the first flight which included the spacecraft Guidance and Navigation Control system and fuel cells... |
25,810 | August 25, 1966 | Unmanned suborbital test of Block I CSM |
| SA-204 | Apollo 1 Apollo 1 Apollo 1 was scheduled to be the first manned mission of the Apollo manned lunar landing program, with a target launch date of February 21, 1967. A cabin fire during a launch pad test on January 27 at Launch Pad 34 at Cape Canaveral killed all three crew members: Command Pilot Virgil "Gus"... |
20,412 | Was to be first manned orbital test of Block I CSM. Cabin fire killed astronauts and damaged CM during dress rehearsal for planned February 21, 1967 launch |
|
| Apollo 5 Apollo 5 Apollo 5 was the first unmanned flight of the Apollo Lunar Module, which would later carry astronauts to the lunar surface. It lifted off on January 22, 1968 with a Saturn IB rocket.-Objectives:... |
14,360 | January 22, 1968 | Unmanned orbital test of Lunar Module, used Apollo 1 launch vehicle |
|
| SA-205 | Apollo 7 Apollo 7 Apollo 7 was the first manned mission in the American Apollo space program, and the first manned US space flight after a cabin fire killed the crew of what was to have been the first manned mission, AS-204 , during a launch pad test in 1967... |
16,520 | October 11, 1968 | Manned orbital test of Block II CSM |
| SA-206 | Skylab 2 Skylab 2 -Backup crew:-Support crew:*Robert L. Crippen*Richard H. Truly*Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr*William E. Thornton-Mission parameters:*Mass: 19,979 kg*Maximum Altitude: 440 km*Distance: 18,536,730.9 km... |
19,979 | May 25, 1973 | Block II CSM ferried first crew to Skylab orbital workshop |
| SA-207 | Skylab 3 Skylab 3 Skylab 3 was the second manned mission to Skylab. The Skylab 3 mission started July 28, 1973, with the launch of three astronauts on the Saturn IB rocket, and lasted 59 days, 11 hours and 9 minutes... |
20,121 | July 28, 1973 | Block II CSM ferried second crew to Skylab orbital workshop |
| SA-208 | AS-208 Skylab Rescue Brand flew in 1975 during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project as command module pilot, later commanding three Space Shuttle missions . Lind would wait another decade before he flew as a mission specialist on STS-51-B in 1985.-External links:* * * * * * *... |
Standby Skylab 3 rescue CSM-119; not needed | ||
| Skylab 4 Skylab 4 Skylab 4 was the fourth Skylab mission and placed the third and final crew on board the space station. The mission started November 16, 1973 with the launch of three astronauts on a Saturn IB rocket, and lasted 84 days, 1 hour and 16 minutes... |
20,847 | November 16, 1973 | Block II CSM ferried third crew to Skylab orbital workshop | |
| SA-209 | AS-209 Skylab Rescue Brand flew in 1975 during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project as command module pilot, later commanding three Space Shuttle missions . Lind would wait another decade before he flew as a mission specialist on STS-51-B in 1985.-External links:* * * * * * *... |
Standby Skylab 4 and later Apollo-Soyuz rescue CSM-119. Not needed, currently on display in the KSC rocket garden |
||
| Skylab 5 | Planned CSM mission to lift Skylab workshop's orbit to endure until Space Shuttle Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons... ready to fly; cancelled. |
|||
| SA-210 | ASTP | 16,780 | July 15, 1975 | Apollo CSM with special docking adapter module, rendezvoused with Soyuz 19. Last Saturn IB flight. |
| SA-211 | Unused | |||
| SA-212 | Unused. First stage scrapped. S-IVB stage converted to Skylab Skylab Skylab was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a mass of... space station. |
|||
| SA-213 | Only first stage built. Unused and scrapped. | |||
| SA-214 | Only first stage built. Unused and scrapped. | |||
For earlier launches of vehicles in the Saturn I series, see the list in the Saturn I
Saturn I
The Saturn I was the United States' first heavy-lift dedicated space launcher, a rocket designed specifically to launch large payloads into low Earth orbit. Most of the rocket's power came from a clustered lower stage consisting of tanks taken from older rocket designs and strapped together to make...
article.
Saturn IB rockets on display
Currently there are three locations where Saturn IB vehicles (or parts thereof) are on display:- SA-209 is on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor ComplexKennedy Space Center Visitor ComplexThe Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the visitor center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It features exhibits and displays, historic spacecraft and memorabilia, shows, two IMAX theaters, a range of bus tours of the spaceport, and the Shuttle Launch Experience, a simulated ride into...
, with the Apollo Facilities Verification Vehicle. Due to severe corrosion, the first stage engines and Service Module were replaced with fabricated duplicates in 1993–1994. - The SA-211 first stage is on display with the S-IVBS-IVBThe S-IVB was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company and served as the third stage on the Saturn V and second stage on the Saturn IB. It had one J-2 engine...
-S "Battleship" static test stage stacked in a launch-ready condition at the Alabama Welcome Center on I-65 in Ardmore, Alabama. 34.954548°N 86.89193°W - The SA-211 S-IVB stage was converted to a Skylab mockup and is on display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AlabamaHuntsville, AlabamaHuntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
.
Cost
In 1972, the cost of a Saturn IB including launch was $55 million USD (inflation adjusted US$ million in ).External links
- http://www.apollosaturn.com/
- http://www.spaceline.org/rocketsum/saturn-Ib.html
- NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center, , 30 September 1972