Saturn V

Saturn V (Saturn V) was a disposable rocket of multiple phases and liquid fuel used in the programs Program Apolo and Skylab of the NASA. Its design was in charge of Wernher von Braun in the Marshall Space Flight Center (Center of space flight Marshall) and its main constructors were Boeing, North American Aviation, Douglas Aircraft Company and IBM. It was greatest of the family of rockets Saturn.

In its flights, Saturn V happened through three phases: S-IC, the initial phase, S-II, second, and S-IVB like final phase. In the three LOX (LOX) like oxidant was used. In the initial phase RP-1 (petroleum refining) like fuel was used, whereas the other two phases used liquid hydrogen (LH2). In a mission, on the average, the rocket worked during about 20 minutes.

The NASA launched to thirteen rockets Saturn V between 1967 and 1973 without no useful pressure drop, although the 6 Apolo and Apolo 13 had problems of engines. The main load for these rockets was the Apolo ships that took to the astronauts of the NASA to the moon.

It was used to launch the space station Skylab, but the project to use it as launcher vehicle for soundings to Mars were cancelled.

Background

At the beginning of years 1961, the Soviet Union led the space career against the Member States. In 1957, the Soviets launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite. And the 12 of April of 1961, Yuri Gagarin was the first person in traveling to the space.

The 25 of May of 1961, President Kennedy announced that the country would try to send a man to the Moon before the end of the decade. Then, the unique experience that Member States it had with the manned space flight was the 15 minutes of Alan Shepard in the suborbital flight of Freedom 7. No rocket of the world could launch a spacecraft to the Moon in a piece. Saturn I was developed but, even without flying, and due to its small size, it would be necessary to realize several launchings to locate all the components of the supposed lunar ship.

In a beginning, the NASA had three main ideas for the mission:

• The encounter in Earth orbit (or EOR in English). It consisted of using a series of small rockets (half of Saturn V) to be placing in orbit on the Earth the different parts from the lunar vehicle. It was misestimated due to just a short time that they had to undergo with objects in the space and its encounter, and was not known if the ship could be mounted.

• The direct ascent or GIVES, proposed to use a rocket that went directly to the Moon, that landed soon and outside new launched until the Earth. The idea was rejected since it required a rocket of a size superior to Saturn V and was impossible that it landed later to take off.

• The encounter the lunar orbit (or LOR), method that consisted of transporting the ship until the Moon, and part of her would land in the lunar surface, the other would stay in lunar orbit to return to the Earth.

Although the NASA rejected the LOR idea, was finally the selected solution since it was the fastest and simple method to reach the goal that Kennedy proposed.

Between 1960 and 1962 Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) designed the rockets that would be used for several missions, beginning by the C-1, that later was transformed into Saturn I. Rocket C-2 not arrived very far in his design before it left it to the MSFC in favor of the C-3, that consisted of 2 engines F1 in its initial phase, 4 J-2 engines in a second and phase S-IV with 6 engines RL-10. The NASA glided to use this rocket as it leaves from the concept of encounter in Earth orbit with at least four or five launchings for a mission.

Nevertheless, the MSFC was planning a greater rocket even, the C-4. This it would use phase S-IVB with a unique J-2 engine. The initial phase consisted of 4 engines F1; the second phase was an enlarged version of the second phase of the C-3. With this rocket two flights for a mission of encounter in Earth orbit were only necessary.

The 10 of January of 1962, the NASA announced the plans to construct the C-5. It would use 5 engines F1 in his initial phase, 5 J-2 engines in a second and S-IVB like third. The first four flights would be of evidence, verifying successfully the three phases and including a flight trials around the Moon. The first manned flight would not be until 1969, although in the end it was realized in December of 1968.

In the middle of 1962, the NASA decided to use an accelerated system of evidence, with the three proven phases in one go in the first launching. This would shorten to the time of development and evidence, but it meant that all the phases had to work perfectly. Also it would allow to reduce the number of rockets from 25 to 15.

In 1963, the C-5 was famous like Saturn V; first engines F1 of Rocketdyne began to be produced. In 1966 the F1 passed the controls of the NASA to be able to be used in manned flights. After an hard work of design and evidence, the 9 of November of 1967 first Saturn V was launched with Apolo 4 without crew on board.

Technology

Saturn V is one of the most impressive machines of human history. With more than 110 meters of height and 10 meters of diameter, with a total mass of almost 3,000 tons, it could send 118 tons to OBT. Saturn V left reduced, in terms of dimensions and power, to the other rockets that to date had been launched successfully.

Mainly it was designed in the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, although many important systems, including the propulsion, were designed by subcontractors. It used the new engines F-1 and J-2 for the propulsion. The designers quickly decided to use as much technology of outside possible Saturn I as. Of this form, third phase S-IVB was based on second phase S-IV of Saturn I. The unit of instruments that controlled the rocket shared characteristics with which it took Saturn I.

The rocket consisted of three phases and the unit of instruments, that were constructed by several contractors of the NASA. Peculiarly, the companies that developed the three phases form part of Boeing through purchases and mergers.

The three phases also used small solid fuel engines that helped to the separation of the phases during the launching, and to assure that the liquid propellents were in the appropriate situation to be pumped.

In the case of aborting the launching requiring the destruction of the rocket, the safety officer would send a signal to explosive charges united in the outer surface to detonate them. This would do you cut in the tanks of fuel and oxidant to disperse them quickly and to reduce the mixture. Later the rescue turret would be shot to save the cap with the astronauts.

The initial phase: S-IC

The S-IC was constructed by the company Boeing in the Michoud Assembly Facility of New Orleans, where later they would be in charge of external tanks of the space shuttle. Like in almost all the phases of a rocket, the weight of more than 2,000 tons in the takeoff corresponded to the fuel. It used for it a type of kerosene refining very denominated RP-1 and like oxidant, LOX. It measured 42 meters of stop and 10 meters of diameter, and provided 33.4 MN with thrust to obtain first 61Km of ascent. Of the 5 engines F1 that whereas prepared, the central one was fixed, the 4 exteriors could be directed to control the rocket.

Manufacture

The Boeing gained the hiring to make the S-IC the 15 of December of 1961. Of that time, the general design was in favor in charge of the engineers of the MSFC, that both constructed the three first prototypes of evidence (models S-IC-T, S-IC-S and S-IC-F) and first for flight (S-IC-1 and S-IC-2). The rest was constructed by Boeing, taking between 7 and 9 months in the tanks and about 14 months in finalizing a complete phase.

Models S-IC-3 to S-IC-12 were used in the missions Apolo 8 to Apolo 17; the S-IC-13 in the mission of Skylab 1. They were constructed two more and next to those of evidence they are exposed in different places.

Components

The greater and heavier part of the S-IC was the structure of the engines, with 21 tons. It was designed to support the thrust of the five engines and to uniformly distribute it on the base of the rocket. The four stabilizing wings that it owned supported 1,100 temperatures of ºC

On this structure of the engines it was the fuel tank. It contained 770,000 liters of RP-1. The tank weighed 11 tons in vacuum and could release 7,300 liters per second. During the launching, the combustible one was pressurized using helium, that was stored in tanks next to the LOX tank.

The LOX tank (LOX) had capacity for 204,000 liters. It provoked particular problems for the designers. The pipes by where it had to leave oxygen until the engines had to be straight, which meant that they would cross the fuel tank. This meant the isolation of the pipes so that the RP-1 was not congealed and also five holes extra in the part superior of the fuel tank.

The second phase: S-II

The S-II was constructed by North American Aviation (NAA) in California. It used liquid hydrogen (LH2) and LOX with five J-2 engines in the same position that those of the initial phase. This second stage accelerated to Saturn V with a thrust of 5MN. Of all their weight in load, 97% belonged to the fuel.

History

The S-II was born in December of 1959 when a committee recommended the design and construction of a liquid hydrogen engine. The contract for the engine was given to Rocketdyne and J-2 would be called. Simultaneously, phase S-II was designed: initially it would use four of those engines and it would measure 22.5 meters of height and 6.5 meters of diameter.

In 1961, the MSFC began to look for a contractor for the construction of the phase. Of some thirty aerospace companies invited to project the initial requirements, only 7 sent proposals. In the end, the 11 of September of 1961 the NAA took the contract (also it would gain contracts for the moduli on watch and command of the Apolo ship).

Configuration

500.000kg weighed almost, although in 3% it only was of the stage properly, the rest constituted LOX and liquid hydrogen. At heart of the phase it was the thrust structure, where the five J-2 engines leant. The central one was fixed, whereas the other four were airships.

Instead of to use a structure of tanks as the S-IC, the S-II it used a current system. It consisted of two separated aluminum boards by a structure in the form of panel of bees done of phenol. This had to isolate the 70 ºC of difference enters tanks both. Also it lightened the weight in 3,6 tons.

The LOX tank was a container ellipsoid of 10 meters of diameter by 6.7 of height. It was formed by 12 triangular sections, along with two circular pieces above and down.

On the other hand, the tank for the LH2 was formed by six cylinders, five of them of 2.4 meters of height and sixth of only 69cm. The main problem in its design and construction was the isolation. The liquid hydrogen is to 20ºC over absolute zero, therefore it was necessary that the isolation worked extremely well. The initial ideas were not good, creating air wallets between the tank and the isolation. In the end it was decided to sprinkle the isolation by hand and to clear the excess.

The third phase: S-IVB

The S-IVB was mounted by Douglas Aircraft Company in California. It had a J-2 engine and it used the same type of fuel that phase S-II. This phase was used twice: first to enter orbit after the separation with the previous stage; and in the lunar trip for the denominated maneuver translunar injection (or TLI in English).

History

The S-IVB was a evolution of the last phase of Saturn I, the S-IV, and was the initial phase of Saturn 5 in being designed. The S-IV used six engines but the same type of fuel that the S-IVB, LOX and LH2. Also it was originally the fourth phase of the C-4 rocket, of there the name of S-IV.

Eleven companies sent proposals to be the contractor of the phase, before the time limit, the 29 of February of 1960. The administrator of the NASA, T. Keith Glennan chose the 19 of April to Douglas like winner.

The MSFC decided to use the C-5 rocket (later call Saturn V), that would have three phases and would use a new version of the S-IV like final stage, the S-IVB. At the same time, the rocket C-IB was constructed (Saturno IB) that also would use phase S-IVB as his second stage and could be used to prove the Apolo ships in Earth orbit.

The S-IVB took to 72,200 liters of LOX (LOX) and 229,000 liters of liquid hydrogen (LH2). A S-IVB that was not used served like hull for the Skylab. During the missions Apolo 13, Apolo 14, Apolo 15, 16 Apolo and Apolo 17, the phase was launched against the lunar surface to realize seismic measurements.

The unit of instruments

The unit of instruments of Saturn V was a structure in the form of ring, of almost a meter of stop, that paid attention upon third phase S-IVB. It was immediately underneath the panels of the modulus of the lunar adapter (SLA in English) that contained the lunar modulus.

In the unit it took the guidance system of the rocket. Some of electronic equipment who comprised were a digital computer, a computer of control of the flight, the system of detection of emergencia, systems of telemetry, etc. was constructed by IBM in center of space systems in Alabama.

Comparisons

The Soviet counterpart to Saturn V was the N-1 rocket. Era of dimensions similar to Saturn V, but never was able to realize the separation of the initial stage successfully. The decision to use five engines of major power in the initial phase turned out to be more certainly the 30 small engines of the N-1.

Saturn V secured a maximum rating of 33.4 MN and took 118 tons to ground low orbit (OBT). Only a few rockets have been able to defy the marks of Saturn V:

• The Soviet Energy even had more force of propulsion, reaching 46 MN of thrust and could take to 175 tons to OBT in its configuration “Vulkan”. It never flew in that configuration and a couple of times was only launched (both successfully).

• The space shuttle obtains up to 34.8 MN of thrust, although its payload for OBT is, excluding the own shuttle, of 28.8 tons.

• New Ariane 5, in its variant ECA can take 10 tonnes of freight useful until orbit of geostationary transfer (OTG).

• The rocket Heavy Delta IV, that launched to a satellite of evidence the 21 of December of 2004, has a capacity of 13.1 tons to OTG.

• Atlas V (using motor of Russian design) is able to take to 25 tons to OBT and something more than 13.5 tons to OTG.

Assembly

After a stage was completed, Kennedy was fishing scow to the space Center. The two initial phases were so great that the unique way to transport them was in a hull. The S-IC, constructed in New Orleans, lowered by the Mississippi river until the gulf of Mexico. Soon Florida surrounded until arriving at the building of vertical assembly (now call building of assembly of vehicles).

The S-II traveled from California happening through the Panama Canal. The third phase and the unit of instruments were easier to transport: they used Super airplanes Guppy and Pregnant Guppy de Aero Spacelines.

In the building of vertical assembly (or VAB in English), each phase was reviewed before its On guard vertical investment. The NASA also constructed false structures that could be used instead of a stage if this one were delayed. These had the same dimensions that the real ones.

The NASA decided to use a turret of mobile launching, using a species of tractor caterpillar for its transport. The rocket was mounted in the rig in the VAB and was removed by the tractor until arriving at the drop zone, to about 5 km Due to the speed of the tractor, the route could take between 5 and 8 hours. This system is continued using with the space shuttles.

Sequence of launching in the lunar missions

The lunar missions, that used the rockets Saturn V, took off from the Complex of in center space launching 39 John F. Kennedy (or KSC in English). Once the rocket left the launching turret, the control of the mission transferred to the space Center Johnson (JSC) in Houston, Texas.

Sequence of the S-IC

The initial stage worked during two minutes and average, raising to the rocket to 61Km of altitude at a speed of 8.600Km/h, consuming for it 2,000 tons of diverse fuels.

To 8.9 seconds before the launching, the sequence of ignition of the initial phase began. The central engine was first in working, followed by the exteriors every 300 milliseconds to reduce the structural overloads of the rocket. In the moment that the internal computers confirmed the maximum power was realized a takeoff smoothly releasing to the rocket at two moments:

• First, the arms that maintained to united Saturn V to the rig released of him, and
• secondly, while the rocket accelerated a Rep system secondly retained it to us during means approximately.

Once the rocket realized the takeoff was no a safe form that it returned to the rig in case of failure of the engines.

Saturn V took about 12 seconds in leaving the turret back. After this, the rocket began to move away turning to leave an area of freedom adapted, in case of strong winds or malfuncionamientos. To 130 meters of altitude the rocket was prepared to secure the correct azimuth. To 2Km of the ground, the speed has reached 500m/s (1.800Km/h).

To one 80 seconds from the takeoff, the rocket reaches the point of the flight with dynamic maximum pressure (Max Q). The pitot pressure of a rocket is proportional to the densidad of the air on the rocket and the squared one of the speed. Although the speed increases, the atmospheric densidad falls with the altitude and then the shock wave is visible.

To the 135.5 seconds, the central engine went out to reduce the voltage of the rocket. The motor F1 was not adjustable, so it was the simplest method. The crew also underwent her greater acceleration, 4G (39m/s), just before the initial phase was cut. The other engines would continue until the sensors gave notice of the fuel aim (fuel) or of the oxidant (supporter of combustion).

600 milliseconds after the cutting of the engines, the initial phase separated with the aid of eight retrorockets. That happened to an altitude approximated of 62Km. The initial stage continued until a height of 110 km, falling later to the Atlantic Ocean to 560Km of the takeoff rig.

Sequence of the S-II

After the sequence of the S-IC, second phase S-II it lasted 6 minutes and it impelled to the rocket to 185 km of height and 24,600 km/h, approaching it the orbital speed.

The second phase had a trial of ignition of two parts.

• In first, eight solid fuel engines worked during four seconds to give a positive acceleration, followed by the five J-2 engines.

• In the second part, on 30 seconds after the separation with the initial phase, the later interphase separated of the S-II. It was a maneuver of high precision since the interphase could not touch to the engines and it only had a meter of area of freedom. Then the escape system that crowned the rocket was rejected.

To the 38 seconds of the beginning of the second phase, the control of guide of Saturn V changed to a preprogrammed routine to the way of iterative guide (or IGM), controlled by the unit of instruments. About 90 seconds before finalizing the second phase, the central engine was cut to reduce the longitudinal oscillations.

At those moments, the LOX assets (LOX) fell, changing the propellent mixture both, making sure that there would be so little combustible as outside possible when finalizing the stage. This took control of a predetermined delta-v.

There were five sensors at heart of each tank of the S-II. When two of them were shortages, the unit of instruments would initiate the stage sequence. A second later the second phase was interrupted and it separated; and the one tenth of second later third phase began. The S-II hit to about 4,200 km of the takeoff site.

Sequence of the S-IVB

The third phase lasted something more than two minutes and average, beginning to 12 minutes of the launching. The S-IVB followed united while the spaceship orbited twice around the Earth and average in a parking orbit. At those moments, the astronauts reviewed the ship and the rocket to make sure that everything worked correctly.

Unlike the previous separation, there was no a separation of two stages. The interphase between the stages the S-II and the S-IVB followed united the second phase (although it was constructed like part of the third phase).

To the 10 minutes and 30 seconds of the launching, Saturn V was to 164 km of altitude and 1,700 km of the release point. During 5 minutes of operation, the engine was cut. The ship was in an orbit of 1,800 by 165 km That was quite low in terms of Earth orbits, and it would not stay long stable weather due to the contact between the ship and the atmosphere. In the missions 9 Apolo and Skylab the orbit would have to be higher. The following two revolutions and average in orbit served to verify the systems of the ship and to prepare it for the translunar injection (or TLI in English).

The TLI began to the 2 hour and a half of the launching, when the third phase was reinitiated to drive the ship to the Moon. The S-IVB worked almost 6 minutes putting the ship at a speed of 10 km/s, the speed of escape.

A couple of hours after the TLI, the modulus of command and service (CSM) of the Apolo separated of the third phase, would turn 180 degrees and it would be reconciled with the lunar modulus (LM), that was located underneath during the launching. Then, the CSM and the LM would separate of the third phase.

If the stage remained in the same trajectory that the spaceship could more ahead appear a danger for the mission. Therefore, the remaining fuel was expelled, thus changing its trajectory. The third phases, from Apolo 13 in future, were directed towards the Moon to hit against her. The sismómetros lazy in her by the previous missions detected the shocks, and the investigation helped to create a map of the interior of the satellite. Before that, the stages (except in the 9 Apolo and Apolo 12) were directed towards the lunar orbit would send that them to a solar orbit. The S-IVB of Apolo 9 was directed directly to a solar orbit.

The S-IVB of Apolo 12, on the other hand, had a different destiny. The 3 of September of 2002, Bill Yeung discovered a supposed asteroid, that J002E3 was denominated. It appeared to be in orbit around the Earth, and after a spectral analysis it was discovered that it was covered with a white painting of titanium dioxide. The same type that was used in Saturn V.

The controllers had glided to send phase S-IVB of Apolo 12 to a solar orbit, but the ignition after the separation lasted too much time, without obtaining that it happened sufficiently near the Moon and finishing in a stable orbit between the Earth and the Moon.

Other uses of Saturn V

The unique launching of Saturn V related to the Apolo program did not go the shipment to orbit of the space station Skylab. In 1968, the Application program Apolo (AAP) was created to accomplish possible scientific missions with the leftover material of the Apolo. The main planning concentrated in the idea of a space station.

Originally, the plan consisted of launching a stage and soon to equip it in the space. This idea was left to turn phase S-IVB into a ground space station and to launch it in Saturn V. In this case, the Skylab was a phase S-IVB of Saturn IB, and another one in reserve of the third stage of Saturn V. The one of reserve one exhibits in the National Museum of the Air and the Space. Three crew lived attack on the Skylab from the 25 of May from 1973 to the 8 of February of 1974, staying in orbit to May of 1979.

One hoped that the Skylab was in orbit the sufficient time so that the space shuttle visited in his first flights to him. With this it would be possible to have been increased to the orbit and used being as it bases for future space stations. Nevertheless, the space shuttle would not fly until 1981.

The shuttle initially was conceived like a freight transport to be used in conjunction with Saturn V. The shuttle would handle the logistics of the space station, whereas the rocket would take the components. The lack of financing for the production of second Saturn V ended this plan, and left to the Member States without an elevator of heavy load.

Wernher von Braun and others also had plans for a rocket that took 8 engines F1 in its initial phase, allowing the launching of a ship manned in direct ascent to the Moon. Other plans for Saturn V were the use of a Centaur like final stage. These improvements would have increased their capacity to send a ship nonmanned of great manned size or one to Mars.

The second Saturn production V (if it had happened) would have used more likely engine F-1A, increasing the thrust capacity. Other probable exchanges would have been the retirement of the fins, because they provided little advantage compared to his weight; an extended initial phase S-IC to support engines F-1A; and J-2 engines improved for the final stages.

Saturn V would be also the vehicle of launching for program RIFT, a nuclear engine, called later RIB. The proposals of a rocket greater than Saturn V lasted since the end of years 1950 at the beginning of the decade of 1980, and they denominated Nova generically. On some thirty proposals they took the name of Nova.

Cost

From 1964 to 1973, a total of 6,500 million dollars USD was destined to Saturn V, being in 1966 the maximum quantity of 1,200 million. One of the main ratios for its cancellation was its high cost. In 1966, the NASA received its higher budget of 4,500 million USD, the 0,5% of the GNP of the Member States of that one moment.

Table of launchings

Miscelánea

At present three rockets for their visit are conserved, all stipulated horizontally:

• In center space Lyndon B. Johnson, the union of the initial phase of the SA-514, the second phase of the SA-515 and third of the SA-513.

• In center space John F. Kennedy, formed of the S-IC-T (a evidence stage) and the two stages of the SA-514.

• And in the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, in Alabama, from phases S-IC-D, S-II-F/D and S-IVB-D (all stages of evidence that were not used).

Of the three, only the one of the space center Johnson is compound of phases that could be used for a launching. In the U.S. Space & Rocket also a scale model to natural size exists. The initial phase of the SA-515 is conserved in New Orleans, whereas third it exhibits in the National Museum of the Air and the Space.

An urban legend exists, although uncertain, that the planes of Saturn V were destroyed or they are had lost. Nevertheless, the reality is that still they exist in format microfilm in the MSFC.

Pair maximum that can at present develop one of the most powerful cars, Bugatti Veyron, is of about 1250 NM, that 20 KN of delivered effective maximum force to the transmission suppose about from the engine, considering 35 MN approximated of thrust of rocket Saturn, we can reasonably to establish balance of power like 1750 times favorable to rocket Saturn, and to establish his take-off horsepower in approximately 1,3 GW, that is an equivalent power to which it would need to generate a plug that was connected to 1200 solar thermal power plants simultaneously, of 10000 square meters of surface each, like the established ones in Taverns.

Bibliography

General references

• Bilstein, Roger E. (1980). Stages to Saturn: To Technological History of the Apollo/Saturn Launch Vehicles. HTML or pdf NASA SP-4206. ISBN 0-16-048909-1.

• Saturn illustrated chronology: Saturn's first elevates years, April 1957 - April 1968. HTML or pdf

• Moonport: To history of Apollo launch facilities and operations. 'HTML' or pdf (published by University Press of Florida in two volumes: Gateway to the Moon: Building the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex, 2001, ISBN 0-8130-2091-3 and Moon Launch: To History of the Saturn-Apollo Launch Operations, 2001 ISBN 0-8130-2094-8

• Apollo By The Numbers: To Statistical Reference. HTML or pdf (published by Government Reprints Press, 2001, ISBN 1-931641-00-5)

• Saturn 5 launch vehicle flight evaluation report: AS-501 Apollo 4 mission in pdf.

• Saturn 5 launch vehicle flight evaluation report: AS-508 Apollo 13 mission in pdf.

• Saturn V Flight Manual - SA-503 in pdf.

• 'Saturn V Press Kit' (in English)

• Lawrie, Alan, Saturn, Collectors Guide Publishing, 2005, ISBN 1-894959-19-1

Notes

1. ↑ Story of the NASA translated to the Spanish | The original article in English, 20 of September of 2002.
2. 'Article on the event' in the Spanish newspaper the World, 24 of October of 2002.
3. ↑ Official Engineering specifications of the Bugatti Veyron
4. ↑ Article about the solar thermal power plants

It is also seen

• Apolo ship
• Apolo program
• Saturn I
• Skylab

External Links

• Wikimedia Commons lodges content multimedia on Saturno.Commons rockets

In English

• 'Saturn Vehicle History'
• Saturn V in Encyclopedia Astronautics
• Apollo Saturn Reference Page
• Project Apollo Files

In Spanish

• Photos Saturn V

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