Misplaced Pages

#925074

78-532: The Delta Cryogenic Second Stage ( DCSS ) is a family of cryogenic-fuelled rocket stages used on the Delta III , Delta IV , and on the Space Launch System Block 1 launch vehicles. The DCSS employs a unique two-tank architecture where the cylindrical liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ) tank carries payload launch loads and forms the upper section. An oblate spheroid tank filled with liquid oxygen (LOX) and

156-514: A crewed spacecraft to the Moon. During these revisions, the team rejected the single engine of the V-2's design and moved to a multiple-engine design. The Saturn V's final design had several key features. F-1 engines were chosen for the first stage, while new liquid hydrogen propulsion system called J-2 for the second and third stage. NASA had finalized its plans to proceed with von Braun's Saturn designs, and

234-452: A cryogenic fuel system, designated the Tu-155 . Using a fuel referred to as liquefied natural gas (LNG), its first flight was in 1989. Cryogenic fuels can be placed into two categories: inert and flammable or combustible. Both types exploit the large liquid-to-gas volume ratio that occurs when liquid transitions to gas phase. The feasibility of cryogenic fuels is associated with what is known as

312-401: A dry mass of about 303,000 pounds (137,000 kilograms); when fully fueled at launch, it had a total mass of 4,881,000 pounds (2,214,000 kilograms). The S-IC was powered by five Rocketdyne F-1 engines arrayed in a quincunx . The center engine was held in a fixed position, while the four outer engines could be hydraulically turned with gimbals to steer the rocket. In flight, the center engine

390-519: A final launch on 9 April 2024. The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) serves as the upper stage for the initial configuration (Block 1) of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS). It's a derivative of the 5-meter DCSS, with minimal modifications for SLS integration. Like the earlier DCSS, the ICPS is powered by one Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 engine and generates 110.1 kilonewtons (24,800 pounds-force) of maximum thrust. Like all previous DCSS units, Artemis I used

468-432: A high mass flow rate. With regulation, the high-density energy of cryogenic fuels is utilized to produce thrust in rockets and controllable consumption of fuel. The following sections provide further detail. These types of fuels typically use the regulation of gas production and flow to power pistons in an engine. The large increases in pressure are controlled and directed toward the engine's pistons. The pistons move due to

546-504: A proposed replacement for the first stage was the AJ-260x . This solid rocket motor would have simplified the design by removing the five-engine configuration and, in turn, reduced launch costs. The S-II was built by North American Aviation at Seal Beach, California . Using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, it had five Rocketdyne J-2 engines in a similar arrangement to the S-IC, and also used

624-457: A riskier option, as a space rendezvous had yet to be performed in Earth orbit, much less in lunar orbit. Several NASA officials, including Langley Research Center engineer John Houbolt and NASA Administrator George Low , argued that a lunar orbit rendezvous provided the simplest landing on the Moon with the most cost–efficient launch vehicle, and the best chance to accomplish the lunar landing within

702-426: A rocket varies with air density and the square of relative velocity . Although velocity continues to increase, air density decreases so quickly with altitude that dynamic pressure falls below max q. The propellant in just the S-IC made up about three-quarters of Saturn V's entire launch mass, and it was consumed at 13,000 kilograms per second (1,700,000 lb/min). Newton's second law of motion states that force

780-568: A second time for translunar injection (TLI). The Saturn V's instrument unit was built by IBM and was placed on top of the rocket's third stage. It was constructed at the Space Systems Center in Huntsville, Alabama . 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

858-543: A second. Once the rocket had lifted off, it could not safely settle back down onto the pad if the engines failed. The astronauts considered this one of the tensest moments in riding the Saturn V, for if the rocket did fail to lift off after release they had a low chance of survival given the large amounts of propellant. To improve safety, the Saturn Emergency Detection System (EDS) inhibited engine shutdown for

SECTION 10

#1732852272926

936-468: A three-man spacecraft to land directly on the lunar surface. An EOR would launch the direct-landing spacecraft in two smaller parts which would combine in Earth orbit. A LOR mission would involve a single rocket launching two spacecraft: a mother ship , and a smaller, two-man landing module which would rendezvous back with the main spacecraft in lunar orbit. The lander would be discarded and the mother ship would return home. At first, NASA dismissed LOR as

1014-450: A time with a delay to reduce peak acceleration further. After S-IC separation, the S-II second stage burned for 6 minutes and propelled the craft to 109 miles (175 km) and 15,647 mph (25,181 km/h), close to orbital velocity . For the first two uncrewed launches, eight solid-fuel ullage motors ignited for four seconds to accelerate the S-II stage, followed by the ignition of

1092-427: A total of just 20 minutes. Although Apollo 6 experienced three engine failures, and Apollo 13 experienced one engine shutdown, the onboard computers were able to compensate by burning the remaining engines longer to achieve parking orbit. In the event of an abort requiring the destruction of the rocket, the range safety officer would remotely shut down the engines and after several seconds send another command for

1170-404: Is equal to mass multiplied by acceleration, or equivalently that acceleration is equal to force divided by mass, so as the mass decreased (and the force increased somewhat), acceleration rose. Including gravity, launch acceleration was only 1 + 1 ⁄ 4   g , i.e., the astronauts felt 1 + 1 ⁄ 4   g while the rocket accelerated vertically at 1 ⁄ 4   g . As

1248-421: Is still in use today for liquid-fueled engines. Quite often, liquid oxygen is mistakenly called cryogenic fuel , though it is actually an oxidizer and not fuel - like in any combustion engine , only the non-oxygen component of the combustion is considered "fuel", although this distinction is arbitrary. Russian aircraft manufacturer Tupolev developed a version of its popular Tu-154 design but with

1326-457: The Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon . The rocket was human-rated , had three stages , and was powered by liquid fuel . Flown from 1967 to 1973, it was used for nine crewed flights to the Moon, and to launch Skylab , the first American space station . As of 2024, the Saturn V remains the only launch vehicle to have carried humans beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). The Saturn V holds

1404-539: The Artemis IV mission and beyond. Cryogenic fuel Some rocket engines use regenerative cooling , the practice of circulating their cryogenic fuel around the nozzles before the fuel is pumped into the combustion chamber and ignited. This arrangement was first suggested by Eugen Sänger in the 1940s. All engines in the Saturn V rocket that sent the first crewed missions to the Moon used this design element, which

1482-512: The Joule-Thomson effect . While it is cost-effective to liquefy natural gas for storage, transport, and use, roughly 10 to 15 percent of the gas gets consumed during the process. The optimal process contains four stages of propane refrigeration and two stages of ethylene refrigeration. There can be the addition of an additional refrigerant stage, but the additional costs of equipment are not economically justifiable. Efficiency can be tied to

1560-611: The Jupiter series of rockets . The Juno I rocket launched the first American satellite in January 1958. Von Braun considered the Jupiter series of rockets to be a prototype of the upcoming Saturn series of rockets , and referred to it as "an infant Saturn". Named after the sixth planet from the Sun , the design of the various Saturn rockets evolved from the Jupiter vehicles. Between 1960 and 1962,

1638-737: The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) designed a series of Saturn rockets that could be deployed for Earth orbit and lunar missions. NASA planned to use the Saturn C-3 as part of the Earth orbit rendezvous (EOR) method for a lunar mission, with at least two or three launches needed for a single landing on the Moon. However, the MSFC planned an even bigger rocket, the C-4, which would use four F-1 engines in its first stage, an enlarged C-3 second stage, and

SECTION 20

#1732852272926

1716-862: The Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico . After rounding Florida , the stages were transported up the Intra-Coastal Waterway to the Vehicle Assembly Building (originally called the Vertical Assembly Building). This was essentially the same route which would be used later to ship Space Shuttle external tanks . The S-II was constructed in California and traveled to Florida via the Panama Canal . The third stage and Instrument Unit

1794-763: The S-IVB stage and delivered less sea level thrust (78,000 pounds-force (350 kN)) than the Launch Escape System rocket (150,000 pounds-force (667 kN) sea level thrust) mounted atop the Apollo command module. The Apollo LES fired for a much shorter time than the Mercury-Redstone (3.2 seconds vs. 143.5 seconds). The Saturn V was principally designed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama , although numerous major systems, including propulsion systems, were designed by subcontractors. The rocket used

1872-501: The S-IVB , a stage with a single J-2 engine, as its third stage. The C-4 would only need to carry out two launches to carry out an EOR lunar mission. On January 10, 1962, NASA announced plans to build the C-5. The three-stage rocket would consist of the S-IC first stage, with five F-1 engines; the S-II second stage, with five J-2 engines; and the S-IVB third stage, with a single J-2 engine. The C-5 would undergo component testing even before

1950-557: The instrument unit . All three stages used liquid oxygen (LOX) as the oxidizer . The first stage used RP-1 for fuel, while the second and third stages used liquid hydrogen (LH2). LH2 has a higher specific energy (energy per unit mass) than RP-1, which makes it more suitable for higher-energy orbits, such as the trans-lunar injection required for Apollo missions. Conversely, RP-1 offers higher energy density (energy per unit volume) and higher thrust than LH2, which makes it more suitable for reducing aerodynamic drag and gravity losses in

2028-593: The Apollo space program gained speed. The stages were designed by von Braun's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, and outside contractors were chosen for the construction: Boeing ( S-IC ), North American Aviation ( S-II ), Douglas Aircraft ( S-IVB ), and IBM ( instrument unit ). Early in the planning process, NASA considered three methods for the Moon mission: Earth orbit rendezvous (EOR), direct ascent , and lunar orbit rendezvous (LOR). A direct ascent configuration would require an extremely large rocket to send

2106-519: The DCSS itself malfunction tumbling uncontrollably, inserting the payload into a useless orbit. On the third flight, the DCSS performed its planned burn but fell short of the target orbit due to premature propellant exhaustion, resulting in mission failure. An un-flown example is on display outside the Discovery Cube Orange County . The Delta IV launch vehicle utilized two distinct versions of

2184-549: The Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS) to cater to the specific launch needs. These variants are the original DCSS with a 4-meter (13 ft) diameter that is largely identical to the version used on the Delta III and the larger version with a 5-meter (16 ft) diameter used to lift larger payloads. These variations necessitated the use of composite interstages, which linked the first and second stages together. For

2262-532: The Delta III were built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. For the Delta IV, production was transferred to Boeing Integrated Defense Systems and later to United Launch Alliance . The DCSS first flew on three Delta III missions, however it was never successful. On its maiden flight, a booster failed and the rocket was destroyed by range safety, causing the loss of the DCSS before ignition. The second mission saw

2340-550: The Delta IV Medium configuration, a tapering interstage was employed to transition between the 5-meter diameter of the first stage and the smaller 4-meter diameter of the DCSS. In contrast, the Delta IV Heavy configuration and some Delta IV Medium+ configurations, with larger payload capacities, utilized a cylindrical interstage that matched the diameter of its 5-meter DCSS. The Delta IV family of rockets has been retired, with

2418-659: The Moon. At a height of 363 feet (111 m), the Saturn V stood 58 feet (18 m) taller than the Statue of Liberty from the ground to the torch, and 48 feet (15 m) taller than the Elizabeth Tower , which houses Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster . In contrast, the Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle used on Freedom 7 , the first crewed American spaceflight, was approximately 11 feet (3.4 m) longer than

Delta Cryogenic Second Stage - Misplaced Pages Continue

2496-627: The RL10B-2 engine, however Artemis II and III will use the RL10C-2. The ICPS for the Artemis I mission was mated to the SLS launch stack on 6 July 2021. It performed as expected, providing the necessary thrust during the successful launch on 16 November 2022 at 06:47:44 UTC (01:47:44 EST). The ICPS is designed as a temporary solution and slated to be replaced by the next-generation Exploration Upper Stage for

2574-589: The S-IC from the rest of the vehicle at an altitude of about 42 miles (67 km). The first stage continued on a ballistic trajectory to an altitude of about 68 miles (109 km) and then fell in the Atlantic Ocean about 350 miles (560 km) downrange. The engine shutdown procedure was changed for the launch of Skylab to avoid damage to the Apollo Telescope Mount . Rather than shutting down all four outboard engines at once, they were shut down two at

2652-471: The S-IC, the S-II was transported from its manufacturing plant to Cape Kennedy by sea. The S-IVB stage was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company at Huntington Beach, California . It had one Rocketdyne J-2 engine and used the same fuel as the S-II. The S-IVB used a common bulkhead to separate the two tanks. It was 58.6 feet (17.86 m) tall with a diameter of 21.7 feet (6.604 m) and

2730-594: The Saturn V shared characteristics with the one carried by the Saturn IB. The Saturn V was primarily constructed of aluminum . It was also made of titanium , polyurethane , cork and asbestos . Blueprints and other plans of the rocket are available on microfilm at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The Saturn V consisted of three stages—the S-IC first stage, S-II second stage, and S-IVB third stage—and

2808-665: The U.S. government brought the German rocket technologist Wernher von Braun and over 1,500 German rocket engineers and technicians to the United States in Operation Paperclip , a program authorized by President Truman . Von Braun, who had helped create the German V-2 rocket, was assigned to the Army's rocket design division. Between 1945 and 1958, his work was restricted to conveying

2886-524: The United States at that time. Two main reasons for the cancellation of the last three Apollo missions were the heavy investments in Saturn V and the ever-increasing costs of the Vietnam War to the U.S. in money and resources. In the time frame from 1969 to 1971 the cost of launching a Saturn V Apollo mission was between $ 185,000,000 to $ 189,000,000, of which $ 110 million were used for the production of

2964-520: The acceleration and vehicle attitude , it could calculate the position and velocity of the rocket and correct for any deviations. After the construction and ground testing of each stage was completed, they were each shipped to the Kennedy Space Center. The first two stages were so massive that the only way to transport them was by barge. The S-IC, constructed in New Orleans, was transported down

3042-436: The addition other hydrocarbons for added optimal combustion. Gas liquefying processes have been improving over the past decades with the advent of better machinery and control of system heat losses. Typical techniques take advantage of the temperature of the gas dramatically cooling as the controlled pressure of a gas is released. Enough pressurization and then subsequent depressurization can liquefy most gases, as exemplified by

3120-585: The decade. Other NASA officials became convinced, and LOR was then officially selected as the mission configuration for the Apollo program and announced by NASA administrator James E. Webb on November 7, 1962. Arthur Rudolph became the project director of the Saturn V rocket program in August 1963. He developed the requirements for the rocket system and the mission plan for the Apollo program. The first Saturn V launch lifted off from Kennedy Space Center and performed flawlessly on November 9, 1967, Rudolph's birthday. He

3198-418: The early stages of launch. If the first stage had used LH2, the volume required would have been more than three times greater, which would have been aerodynamically infeasible at the time. The upper stages also used small solid-propellant 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. The S-IC

Delta Cryogenic Second Stage - Misplaced Pages Continue

3276-592: The engine are suspended from the LH 2 tank and covered by the interstage during initial launch. The DCSS is powered by a single RL10B-2 engine built by Aerojet Rocketdyne , which features an extendable carbon–carbon nozzle to improve specific impulse. The DCSS was designed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan , based on the second stage it developed for the H-IIA rocket. The initial versions for

3354-643: The entire stack was moved from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to the launch pad using the Crawler Transporter (CT). Built by the Marion Power Shovel Company (and later used for transporting the smaller and lighter Space Shuttle, as well as the Space Launch System ), the CT ran on four double-tracked treads, each with 57 "shoes". Each shoe weighed 2,000 pounds (910 kg). This transporter

3432-443: The fins, was 33 feet (10 m) in diameter. Fully fueled, the Saturn V weighed 6.5 million pounds (2,900,000 kg) and had a low Earth orbit (LEO) payload capacity originally estimated at 261,000 pounds (118,000 kg), but was designed to send at least 90,000 pounds (41,000 kg) to the Moon. Later upgrades increased that capacity; on the final three Apollo lunar missions, it sent up to 95,901 lb (43,500 kg) to

3510-417: The first 30 seconds of flight. If all three stages were to explode simultaneously on the launch pad, an unlikely event, the Saturn V had a total explosive yield of 543 tons of TNT or 0.543 kilotons (2,271,912,000,000 J or 155,143 lbs of weight loss), which is 0.222 kt for the first stage, 0.263 kt for the second stage and 0.068 kt for the third stage. (See Saturn V Instrument Unit ) Contrary to popular myth ,

3588-452: The first model was constructed. The S-IVB third stage would be used as the second stage for the C-1B, which would serve both to demonstrate proof of concept and feasibility for the C-5, but would also provide flight data critical to the development of the C-5. Rather than undergoing testing for each major component, the C-5 would be tested in an "all-up" fashion, meaning that the first test flight of

3666-457: The first stage ignition sequence started. The center engine ignited first, followed by opposing outboard pairs at 300-millisecond intervals to reduce the structural loads on the rocket. When 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 slowed by tapered metal pins pulled through holes for half

3744-426: The five J-2 engines. For the first seven crewed Apollo missions, only four ullage motors were used on the S-II, and they were eliminated for the final four launches. About 30 seconds after first stage separation, the interstage ring dropped from the second stage. This was done with an inertially fixed attitude—orientation around its center of gravity —so that the interstage, only 3 feet 3 inches (1 m) from

3822-471: The four outer engines for control. The S-II was 81.6 feet (24.87 m) tall with a diameter of 33 feet (10 m), identical to the S-IC, and thus was the largest cryogenic stage until the launch of the Space Shuttle in 1981. The S-II had a dry mass of about 80,000 pounds (36,000 kg); when fully fueled, it weighed 1,060,000 pounds (480,000 kg). The second stage accelerated the Saturn V through

3900-474: The ideas and methods behind the V-2 to American engineers, though he wrote books and articles in popular magazines. This approach changed in 1957, when the Soviets launched Sputnik 1 atop an R-7 ICBM, which could carry a thermonuclear warhead to the U.S. The Army and government began putting more effort towards sending Americans into space before the Soviets. They turned to von Braun's team, who had created

3978-427: The lead contractors for construction of the rocket were Boeing , North American Aviation , Douglas Aircraft Company , and IBM . Fifteen flight-capable vehicles were built, not counting three used for ground testing. A total of thirteen missions were launched from Kennedy Space Center , nine of which carried 24 astronauts to the Moon from Apollo 8 (December 1968) to Apollo 17 (December 1972). In September 1945,

SECTION 50

#1732852272926

4056-651: The mechanical power transformed from the monitored production of gaseous fuel. A notable example can be seen in Peter Dearman 's liquid air vehicle. Some common inert fuels include: These fuels utilize the beneficial liquid cryogenic properties along with the flammable nature of the substance as a source of power. These types of fuel are well known primarily for their use in rockets . Some common combustible fuels include: Combustible cryogenic fuels offer much more utility than most inert fuels can. Liquefied natural gas, as with any fuel, will only combust when properly mixed with

4134-456: The most fuel-efficient trajectory toward its target orbit. If the instrument unit failed, the crew could switch control of the Saturn to the command module's computer, take manual control, or abort the flight. About 90 seconds before the second stage cutoff, the center engine shut down to reduce longitudinal pogo oscillations. At around this time, the LOX flow rate decreased, changing the mix ratio of

4212-500: The noise produced was not able to melt concrete . It took about 12 seconds for the rocket to clear the tower. During this time, it yawed 1.25 degrees away from the tower to ensure adequate clearance despite adverse winds; this yaw, although small, can be seen in launch photos taken from the east or west. At an altitude of 430 feet (130 m) the rocket rolled to the correct flight azimuth and then gradually pitched down until 38 seconds after second stage ignition. This pitch program

4290-444: The optimized Cascade process, the mixture to be cooled and condensed is the feed gas. In the propane mixed refrigerant processes, the two mixtures requiring cooling and condensing are the feed gas and the mixed refrigerant. The chief source of inefficiency lies in the heat exchange train during the liquefaction process. Saturn V The Saturn V is a retired American super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA under

4368-500: The outboard J-2 engines, would fall cleanly without hitting them, as the interstage could have potentially damaged two of the J-2 engines if it was attached to the S-IC. Shortly after interstage separation the Launch Escape System was also jettisoned. About 38 seconds after the second stage ignition, the Saturn V switched from a preprogrammed trajectory to a "closed loop" or Iterative Guidance Mode. The instrument unit now computed in real time

4446-541: The powerful F-1 and J-2 rocket engines ; during testing at Stennis Space Center, the force developed by the engines shattered the windows of nearby houses. Designers decided early on to attempt to use as much technology from the Saturn I program as possible for the Saturn V. Consequently, the S-IVB -500 third stage of the Saturn V was based on the S-IVB-200 second stage of the Saturn IB . The instrument unit that controlled

4524-408: The pure component cascade processes which minimize the overall source to sink temperature difference associated with refrigerant condensing. The optimized process incorporates optimized heat recovery along with the use of pure refrigerants. All process designers of liquefaction plants using proven technologies face the same challenge: to efficiently cool and condense a mixture with a pure refrigerant. In

4602-421: The record for the largest payload capacity to low Earth orbit, 311,152 lb (141,136 kg), which included unburned propellant needed to send the Apollo command and service module and Lunar Module to the Moon. 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 Center in Huntsville, Alabama ;

4680-423: The right amounts of air. As for LNG, the bulk majority of efficiency depends on the methane number, which is the gas equivalent of the octane number. This is determined based on the methane content of the liquefied fuel and any other dissolved gas, and varies as a result of experimental efficiencies. Maximizing efficiency in combustion engines will be a result of determining the proper fuel to air ratio and utilizing

4758-511: The rocket rapidly lost mass, total acceleration including gravity increased to nearly 4  g at T+135 seconds. At this point, the inboard (center) engine was shut down to prevent acceleration from increasing beyond 4  g . When oxidizer or fuel depletion was sensed in the suction assemblies, the remaining four outboard engines were shut down. First stage separation occurred a little less than one second after this to allow for F-1 thrust tail-off. Eight small solid fuel separation motors backed

SECTION 60

#1732852272926

4836-462: The rocket would include complete versions of all three stages. By testing all components at once, far fewer test flights would be required before a crewed launch. The C-5 was confirmed as NASA's choice for the Apollo program in early 1962, and was named the Saturn ;V. The C-1 became the Saturn I and C-1B became Saturn IB. Von Braun headed a team at the MSFC to build a vehicle capable of launching

4914-400: The same height and mass and contained the same electrical connections as the actual stages. NASA stacked (assembled) the Saturn V on a Mobile Launcher , which consisted of a Launch Umbilical Tower with nine swing arms (including the crew access arm), a "hammerhead" crane, and a water suppression system which was activated prior to engine ignition during a launch. After assembly was completed,

4992-513: The 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. The pause between these two actions would give time for the crew to escape via the Launch Escape Tower or (in the later stages of the flight) the propulsion system of the Service module. A third command, "safe",

5070-455: The top of the LOX tank and bottom of the LH2 tank. It consisted of two aluminum sheets separated by a honeycomb structure made of phenolic resin . This bulkhead had to be able to insulate against the 126 °F (70 °C) temperature difference between the two tanks. The use of a common bulkhead saved 7,900 pounds (3.6 t) by both eliminating one bulkhead and reducing the stage's length. Like

5148-460: The two launch pads). From 1964 until 1973, $ 6.417 billion (equivalent to $ 40.9 billion in 2023) was appropriated for the Research and Development and flights of the Saturn V, with the maximum being in 1966 with $ 1.2 billion (equivalent to $ 8.61 billion in 2023). That same year, NASA received its largest total budget of $ 4.5 billion, about 0.5 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of

5226-439: The two propellants and 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 . Five level sensors in the bottom of each S-II propellant tank were armed during S-II flight, allowing any two to trigger S-II cutoff and staging when they were uncovered. One second after the second stage cut off it separated and several seconds later

5304-422: The upper atmosphere with 1,100,000 pounds-force (4,900 kN) of thrust in a vacuum. When loaded with fuel, more than 90 percent of the mass of the stage was propellant; however, the ultra-lightweight design had led to two failures in structural testing. 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

5382-610: The vehicle (equivalent to $ 1.18 billion–$ 1.2 billion in 2023). The Saturn V carried all Apollo lunar missions, which were launched from Launch Complex 39 at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida . After the rocket cleared the launch tower, flight control transferred to Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas . An average mission used the rocket for

5460-471: Was also designed with high mass efficiency, though not quite as aggressively as the S-II. The S-IVB had a dry mass of about 23,000 pounds (10,000 kg) and, when fully fueled, weighed about 262,000 pounds (119,000 kg). The S-IVB was the only rocket stage of the Saturn V small enough to be transported by the cargo plane Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy . For lunar missions it was fired twice: first for Earth orbit insertion after second stage cutoff, and

5538-566: Was also required to keep the rocket level as it traveled the 3 miles (4.8 km) to the launch site, especially at the 3 percent grade encountered at the launch pad. The CT also carried the Mobile Service Structure (MSS), which allowed technicians access to the rocket until eight hours before launch, when it was moved to the "halfway" point on the Crawlerway (the junction between the VAB and

5616-555: Was built by the Boeing Company at the Michoud Assembly Facility , New Orleans , where the Space Shuttle external tanks would later be built by Lockheed Martin . Most of its mass at launch was propellant: RP-1 fuel with liquid oxygen as the oxidizer . The stage was 138 feet (42 m) tall and 33 feet (10 m) in diameter. It provided 7,750,000 lbf (34,500 kN) of thrust at sea level. The S-IC stage had

5694-544: Was carried by the Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy and Super Guppy , but could also have been carried by barge if warranted. Upon arrival at the Vertical Assembly Building, each stage was inspected in a horizontal position before being oriented vertically. NASA also constructed large spool-shaped structures that could be used in place of stages if a particular stage was delayed. These spools had

5772-400: Was set according to the prevailing winds during the launch month. The four outboard engines also tilted toward the outside so that in the event of a premature outboard engine shutdown the remaining engines would thrust through the rocket's center of mass . The Saturn V reached 400 feet per second (120 m/s) at over 1 mile (1,600 m) in altitude. Much of the early portion of the flight

5850-451: Was spent gaining altitude, with the required velocity coming later. The Saturn V broke the sound barrier at just over 1 minute at an altitude of between 3.45 and 4.6 miles (5.55 and 7.40 km). At this point, shock collars, or condensation clouds, would form around the bottom of the command module and around the top of the second stage. At about 80 seconds, the rocket experienced maximum dynamic pressure (max q). The dynamic pressure on

5928-480: Was then assigned as the special assistant to the director of MSFC in May 1968 and subsequently retired from NASA on January 1, 1969. On July 16, 1969, the Saturn V launched Apollo 11 , putting the first men on the Moon. The size and payload capacity of the Saturn V dwarfed those of all other previous rockets successfully flown at that time. With the Apollo spacecraft on top, it stood 363 feet (111 m) tall, and, ignoring

6006-427: Was turned off about 26 seconds earlier than the outboard engines to limit acceleration. During launch, the S-IC fired its engines for 168 seconds (ignition occurred about 8.9 seconds before liftoff) and at engine cutoff, the vehicle was at an altitude of about 42 miles (67 km), was downrange about 58 miles (93 km), and was moving around 7,500 feet per second (2,300 m/s). While not put into production,

6084-453: Was used after the S-IVB stage reached orbit to irreversibly deactivate the self-destruct system. The system was also held inactive as long as the rocket was still on the launch pad. The first stage burned for about 2 minutes and 41 seconds, lifting the rocket to an altitude of 42 miles (68 km) and a speed of 6,164 miles per hour (2,756 m/s) and burning 4,700,000 pounds (2,100,000 kg) of propellant. At 8.9 seconds before launch,

#925074