The Saturn C-8 was the largest member of the Saturn series of rockets to be designed. It was a potential alternative to the Nova rocket, should NASA have chosen a direct ascent method of lunar exploration for the Apollo program . The first stage was an increased-diameter version of the S-IC . The second stage was an increased-diameter version of the S-II . Both of these stages had eight engines, as opposed to the standard five. The third stage was a stretched S-IVB stage, which retained its original diameter and engine.
41-652: NASA announced on September 7, 1961, that the government-owned Michoud Ordnance Plant near New Orleans , Louisiana, would be the site for fabrication and assembly of the Saturn first stages as well as larger vehicles in the Saturn program. Finalists were two government-owned plants in St. Louis and New Orleans. The height of the factory roof at Michoud meant that a 40-foot-diameter (12 m) launch vehicle with eight F-1 engines (Saturn C-8, Nova class) could not be built; four or five engines (33 ft or 10 m diameter) would have to be
82-451: A height of 162 km, one uncrewed LM orbital flight, and the first crewed CSM orbital mission (first planned as Apollo 1 , later flown as Apollo 7 ). It also launched one orbital mission, AS-203 , without a payload so the S-IVB would have residual liquid hydrogen fuel. This mission supported the design of the restartable version of the S-IVB used in the Saturn V, by observing the behavior of
123-401: A portion of the facility to Big Easy Studios, a New Orleans film studio. This deal has been criticized by competing studios as violating NASA's rule that any deal with an outside entity must serve the agency's mission and must not compete with the private sector. NASA officials defend the agreement, stating that this helps to offset the cost of unused space on the facility and that their pricing
164-443: Is home to the first stage of the last-constructed Saturn V, SA-515, built by The Boeing Company. The factory's ceiling height limitation - 12 meters, was unable to allow the construction of the bigger Saturn C-8 direct Moon vehicle, and therefore was one of the major reasons why the smaller C-5 (later renamed Saturn V) was chosen instead of the originally planned Moon vehicle. The runway was slowly transformed into Saturn Boulevard in
205-587: Is located 600 meters southwest of the main manufacturing building. Transporting vehicles carrying manufactured SLS components move down Saturn Blvd, past large open fields, to the pier - where the Pegasus Barge is docked. This is where the components are shipped to either their final destination - Kennedy Space Center , or rarely back to the main Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, or
246-581: Is one of the largest manufacturing plants in the world with 43 environmentally controlled acres—174,000 m (1,870,000 sq ft)—under one roof, and it employs more than 4,200 people. From September 1961 to the end of the Apollo program in December 1972 the site was utilized by Chrysler Corporation to build the first stages of the Saturn I and Saturn IB , later joined by Boeing Corporation to build
287-557: Is vetted by state and local economic development agencies to ensure it is not competing with the private market. Portions of Ender's Game , G.I. Joe: Retaliation , and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes were filmed at the factory. On May 24, 1988, TACA Flight 110 operated with a Boeing 737-300 jetliner made a successful emergency landing on a grassy levee in the Michoud grounds after power
328-596: The C-5 for the lunar landing mission, and decided to develop another launch vehicle by upgrading the Saturn I, replacing its S-IV second stage with the S-IVB , which would also be modified for use as the Saturn V third stage. The S-I first stage would also be upgraded to the S-IB by improving the thrust of its engines and removing some weight. The new Saturn IB, with a payload capability of at least 35,000 pounds (16,000 kg), would replace
369-734: The John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for testing. The Michoud Assembly Facility also houses other organizations such as the National Finance Center operated by the United States Department of Agriculture , the United States Coast Guard , and GE . The factory complex is open to the public (though through pre-booking in advance). Visitors must sign in at main reception and clear security. NASA planned to use
410-446: The Orion spacecraft , whose crew module is also being built at Michoud, but by Lockheed Martin . It has 50% more volume than the Apollo command capsule and will carry four to six astronauts. The first launch occurred on November 16, 2022. The facility did not experience significant flooding during Hurricane Katrina due to a natural ridge that runs along its northwestern boundary,
451-473: The S-I baseline's thrust from 1,500,000 pounds-force (6,700,000 N) to 1,600,000 pounds-force (7,100,000 N) and propellant load by 3.1%. This increased the Saturn I's low Earth orbit payload capability from 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg) to 46,000 pounds (21,000 kg), enough for early flight tests of a half-fueled Apollo command and service module (CSM) or a fully fueled Apollo Lunar Module (LM), before
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#1732855260581492-414: The levee that makes up the southern and eastern boundaries, and the work of the pump operators who stayed to protect the facility during the storm. Several buildings sustained wind and rainwater damage. All shifts were initially canceled up to September 26, 2005, potentially setting back future Shuttle flights. All the buildings and the shuttle hardware within survived the hurricane without grave damage, but
533-586: The uprated Saturn I ) was an American launch vehicle commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the Apollo program . It uprated the Saturn I by replacing the S-IV second stage (90,000-pound-force (400,000 N), 43,380,000 lb-sec total impulse), with the S-IVB (200,000-pound-force (890,000 N), 96,000,000 lb-sec total impulse). The S-IB first stage also increased
574-479: The "uprated Saturn I", at the same time the "lunar excursion module" was renamed the lunar module . However, the "uprated Saturn I" terminology was reverted to Saturn IB on December 2, 1967. By the time it was developed, the Saturn IB payload capability had increased to 41,000 pounds (19,000 kg). By 1973, when it was used to launch three Skylab missions, the first-stage engine had been upgraded further, raising
615-634: The 1940s and briefly as a National Guard field in 1949, but became inactive by 1952. During the Korean War it made engines for Sherman and Patton tanks, and boasted a 1,700-metre (5,500 ft) paved runway. It came under the management of NASA in 1961, and was used for the construction of the S-IC first stage of the Saturn V rockets and the S-IB first stage of the Saturn IB rockets built by Chrysler Corporation. It
656-583: The 1960s with the middle becoming a heliport and decommissioned by the 1970s. The majority of the NASA factory's history was focused on construction and production of NASA's Space Shuttle external tank (ET). Beginning with the rollout of ET-1 on June 29, 1979, which flew on STS-1 , 136 tanks were produced throughout the Space Shuttle program, ending with the flight-ready tank ET-122, which flew on STS-134 , rolled out on September 20, 2010. A single tank produced at
697-659: The ASTP mission, as no use could be found for them and all heavy lift needs of the US space program could be serviced by the cheaper and more versatile Titan III family and also the Space Shuttle . In 1959, NASA's Silverstein Committee issued recommendations to develop the Saturn class launch vehicles, growing from the C-1 . When the Apollo program was started in 1961 with the goal of landing men on
738-525: The Apollo program were made from LC-34 and LC-37 , Cape Kennedy Air Force Station . The Saturn IB was used between 1973 and 1975 for three crewed Skylab flights, and one Apollo-Soyuz Test Project flight. This final production run did not have alternating black and white S-IB stage tanks, or vertical stripes on the S-IVB aft tank skirt, which were present on the earlier vehicles. Since LC-34 and 37 were inactive by then, these launches utilized Kennedy Space Center's LC-39B . Mobile Launcher Platform No. 1
779-498: The Moon, NASA chose the Saturn I for Earth orbital test missions. However, the Saturn I's payload limit of 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg) to 162 km would allow testing of only the command module with a smaller propulsion module attached, as the command and service module would have a dry weight of at least 26,300 pounds (11,900 kg), in addition to service propulsion and reaction control fuel. In July 1962, NASA announced selection of
820-425: The Saturn I for Earth orbit testing, allowing the command and service module to be flown with a partial fuel load. It would also allow launching the 32,000-pound (15,000 kg) lunar excursion module separately for uncrewed and crewed Earth orbital testing, before the Saturn V was ready to be flown. It would also give early development to the third stage. On May 12, 1966, NASA announced the vehicle would be called
861-562: The end of the S-IVB burn. AS-206, 207, and 208 inserted the Command and Service Module in a 150-by-222-kilometer (81-by-120-nautical-mile) elliptical orbit which was co-planar with the Skylab one. The SPS engine of the Command and Service Module was used at orbit apogee to achieve a Hohmann transfer to the Skylab orbit at 431 kilometers (233 nautical miles). The first five Saturn IB launches for
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#1732855260581902-583: The facility and probably were the reason that the rocket factory suffered very little damage. These employees were each awarded the NASA Exceptional Bravery Medal , NASA's highest bravery award. On September 16, 2005 NASA announced that the repairs were progressing faster than anticipated, and so they would continue to use Michoud for external tank work. On October 3, 2005, the facility officially reopened for essential personnel, though some key personnel had returned earlier. On October 31, 2005,
943-473: The facility reopened to all personnel. On February 7, 2017, an EF3 tornado carved a path through Orleans Parish , in which the factory is located. Two major buildings including the main manufacturing building were damaged, with multiple broken windows. 5 people were injured, and resulting repairs and other factors contributed to the delay of the first SLS launch until late 2022. The facility consists of various buildings in one complex: The shipping port
984-547: The facility, ET-94, was not used in spaceflight and remained at Michoud as a test article . Modular parts for the International Space Station were fabricated at the facility in the mid-1990s until 2010. The factory is now the location for the Space Launch System (SLS)'s core and future second stage construction by Boeing. SLS is the most powerful rocket in the history of spaceflight. It carries
1025-541: The first stage of the Saturn V rockets. From September 5, 1973, to September 20, 2010, the factory was used for the construction of the Space Shuttle 's external fuel tanks by Martin Marietta Corporation . The facility was originally constructed in 1940 at the village of Michoud, Louisiana , by the Higgins-Tucker division of Higgins Industries under the direction of Andrew Jackson Higgins . Construction
1066-668: The instrument unit at the Space Systems Center in Huntsville, Alabama . Located at the top of the S-IVB stage, it consisted of a Launch Vehicle Digital Computer (LVDC), an inertial platform, accelerometers, a tracking, telemetry and command system and associated environmental controls. It controlled the entire rocket from just before liftoff until battery depletion. Like other rocket guidance systems, it maintained its state vector (position and velocity estimates) by integrating accelerometer measurements, sent firing and steering commands to
1107-491: The larger Saturn V needed for lunar flight was ready. By sharing the S-IVB upper stage, the Saturn IB and Saturn V provided a common interface to the Apollo spacecraft. The only major difference was that the S-IVB on the Saturn V burned only part of its propellant to achieve Earth orbit, so it could be restarted for trans-lunar injection . The S-IVB on the Saturn IB needed all of its propellant to achieve Earth orbit. The Saturn IB launched two uncrewed CSM suborbital flights to
1148-465: The liquid hydrogen in weightlessness . In 1973, the year after the Apollo lunar program ended, three Apollo CSM/Saturn IBs ferried crews to the Skylab space station. In 1975, one last Apollo/Saturn IB launched the Apollo portion of the joint US- USSR Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). A backup Apollo CSM/Saturn IB was assembled and made ready for a Skylab rescue mission, but never flown. The remaining Saturn IBs in NASA's inventory were scrapped after
1189-413: The main engines and auxiliary thrusters, and fired the appropriate ordnance and solid rocket motors during staging and payload separation events. As with other rockets, a completely independent and redundant range safety system could be invoked by ground radio command to terminate thrust and to destroy the vehicle should it malfunction and threaten people or property on the ground. In the Saturn IB and V,
1230-525: The manufacture and structural assembly of aerospace vehicles and components. It is owned by NASA and located in New Orleans East , a section of New Orleans, Louisiana , in the United States. Organizationally it is part of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center , and is currently a multi-tenant complex to allow commercial and government contractors, as well as government agencies, to use the site. MAF
1271-531: The maximum. This decision ended consideration of a Nova-class launch vehicle for direct ascent to the Moon or as heavy-lift derivatives for Earth orbit rendezvous . Ultimately, the lunar orbit rendezvous ("LOR") concept approved in 1962 rendered the C-8 obsolete, and the smaller Saturn C-5 was developed instead under the designation " Saturn V ", as the LOR spacecraft was within its payload capacity. The Saturn C-8 configuration
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1312-470: The nickname "Cluster's Last Stand". The four outboard engines were mounted on gimbals , allowing them to be steered to control the rocket. Eight fins surrounding the base thrust structure provided aerodynamic stability and control. Data from: General characteristics Engine The S-IVB was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company at Huntington Beach, California . The S-IVB-200 model
1353-526: The payload capability to 46,000 pounds (21,000 kg). The S-IB stage was built by the Chrysler corporation at the Michoud Assembly Facility , New Orleans . It was powered by eight Rocketdyne H-1 rocket engines 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, which earned the rocket
1394-518: The range safety system was permanently disabled by ground command after safely reaching orbit. This was done to ensure that the S-IVB stage would not inadvertently rupture and create a cloud of debris in orbit that could endanger the crew of the Apollo CSM. Acceleration of the Saturn IB increased from 1.24 G at liftoff to a maximum of 4.35 G at the end of the S-IB stage burn, and increased again from 0 G to 2.85 G from stage separation to
1435-560: The rocket factory to build the structure for several components of the cancelled Constellation program , including the Orion spacecraft , the Ares I Upper Stage , and the Ares V Core Stage. Under the Obama administration, the Constellation Program was cancelled in 2010, but was replaced with SLS a year later to continue space exploration efforts. NASA has an agreement in place to rent out
1476-490: The roof of the main manufacturing building was breached and debris damaged ET-122 stored inside; that tank was refurbished and later flew on the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour , STS-134 . Thirty-eight NASA and Lockheed Martin employees stayed behind during Hurricane Katrina to operate the pumping systems, knowing that if not activated and sustained, the facility would have been destroyed. The workers pumped more than one billion gallons (3,800,000 m ) of water out of
1517-519: Was done on behalf of the United States government for the war production during World War II of plywood C-76 cargo planes and the Higgins Boat landing craft . The project cost $ 180 million ($ 2.8 billion in 2018). Production of the C-76 never commenced and instead produced 2 Curtiss C-46 Commando in 1943 and remaining order cancelled in 1944. The facility was referred to as Michoud (Factory) Airfield in
1558-440: Was lost in both engines during a severe thunderstorm. The aircraft was towed into the Michoud facility, where its engines were replaced. On 6 June, it took off, with a crew of two and minimal fuel, using the former runway at Michoud, which had been reused as a road, Saturn Boulevard. It was flown the short distance to New Orleans International Airport, where it was fully repaired. Saturn IB The Saturn IB (also known as
1599-472: Was modified, adding an elevated platform known as the "milkstool" to accommodate the height differential between the Saturn IB and the much larger Saturn V. This enabled alignment of the Launch Umbilical Tower's access arms to accommodate crew access, fueling, and ground electrical connections for the Apollo spacecraft and S-IVB upper stage. The tower's second stage access arms were modified to service
1640-445: Was never taken further than the design process, as it was too large and costly. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration . This rocketry article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Michoud Ordnance Plant The Michoud Assembly Facility ( MAF ) is an 832-acre (337-hectare) industrial complex for
1681-498: 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 Rocketdyne J-2 engine. The fuel and oxidizer tanks shared a common bulkhead, which saved about ten tons of weight and reduced vehicle length over ten feet. General characteristics Engine IBM built