Saturn IB

A Saturn IB with Apollo 5 atop. Apollo 5 was a lunar module only.

The Saturn IB was an uprated verson of the Saturn I, which was the first manned launch vehicle that was not directly derived from an ICBM (though its tanks were derived from the Jupiter and Redstone tanks, and its first stage engines were Navaho derived). It was conceived in 1962 for use as the launch vehicle for Apollo Earth orbital (block 1) missions (manned and unmanned), the manned Skylab flights, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The final producttion run (such as Skylab launch vehicles) did not have alternating black and white tanks on the first stage.

Here are some basic data:

Height: 224 ft (68.3 m) with Apollo spacecraft
Diameter: 21 ft 8 in (6.6 m)
Finspan: 18 ft (5.5 m)
Number of fins: 8
Number of stages:2
Parts: Stage 1 (S-Ib), Stage 2 (S-IVB), instrument unit, interstage adapter

S-IB stage

The S-IB stage is an eight engine booster for Earth orbital missions. It is composed of nine propellant containers, eight fins, a thrust structure assembly, eight H-1 rocket engines, and many other components. The propellant containers consist of eight Redstone tanks (Four holding LOX and four holding RP-1.) clustered around a Jupiter rocket tank, which contains LOX. The four outboard engines can gimble, meaning they can be steered to properly guide the rocket. This requires a few more engine components.

Here are the specifications:

Height: 83.6 ft (25.5 m)
Diameter: 21.7 ft (6.6 m)
Number of fins: 8
Finspan: 18 ft (5.5 m)
Engines: 8 H-1
Thrust: 1,600,000 lbf (7.1 MN)
Fuel: RP-1 (Refined kerosene) 41,000 US gal (155 m&sup3)
Oxidizer: Liquid oxygen (LOX) 66,000 US gal (250 m&sup3)
Burn time: 2.5 min
Burnout altitude: 42 miles (68 km)

H-1 engine

The H-1 engine is a 200,000 lbf (890 kN) thrust LOX/RP-1 engine, used alone in the first stages of some Delta rockets and the Jupiter rocket. It is derived from the Navaho missle, and was simplified and improved for S-IB use. It is used in clusters on all S-IB rocket stages. Later it would be uprated to 205,000 lbf (912 kN) of thrust. The H-1 preceded the F-1 engine, which was used on the Saturn V rocket. Here are the basic data:

Fuel: RP-1 (refined kerosene)
Oxidizer: liquid oxygen (LOX)
Height: 8.5 ft (2.6 m)
Width: 5.5 ft (1.7 m)
Thrust: 200,000 lbf (890 kN)
Uprated thrust: 205,000 lbf (912 kN)
Fuel flowrate: 2092 US gal/min (132 L/s)
Oxidizer flowrate: 3330 gpm (210 L/s)
Oxidizer to fuel ratio: 2.23:1
Type: bipropellant standard
Nominal chamber pressure: 633 psia (4.4 MPa)
Inboard weight: 1780 lb (810 kg)
Outboard weight: 2020 lb (920 kg)
Expansion area ratio: 8:1

S-IVB stage

[see S-IVB (rocket stage)]

The S-IVB stage is identical to the Saturn V rocket third stage except for the interstage adapter. It is powered by a single J-2 engine, which can gimble. This stage has a "common bulkhead," meaning that one propellant tank is directly connected to the other, as if conjoined twins. This saves about ten tons of weight. Here are the S-IVB specs:

Height: 58.4 ft (17.8 m)
Diameter: 21.7 ft (6.6 m)
Number of fins: 0
Engines: 1 J-2
Thrust: 200,000 lbf (890 kN)
Fuel: Liquid hydrogen (LH2) 64,000 US gal (242 m&sup3)
Oxidizer: Liquid oxygen (LOX) 20,000 US gal (76 m&sup3)
Burn time: approx. 7 min
Burnout altitude (for Saturn IB): orbit

J-2 engine

The J-2 rocket engine is the most powerful hydrogen-fueled engine ever built. It is designed to operate in space, and was built specificaly for space exploration. Here are the specs:

Fuel: Liquid hydrogen (LH2)
Oxidizer: Liquid oxygen (LOX)
Height: 11 ft 1 in (3.4 m)
Width: 6 ft 8.5 in (2.0 m)
Thrust: 195,000 to 225,000 lbf (870 to 1,000 kN), 200,000 lbf (890 kN) standard
Uprated thrust: 230,000 lb (1,020 kN)
Fuel flowrate: 7960 US gal/min (502 L/s)
Oxidizer flowrate: 2490 US gal/min (157 L/s)
Fuel to oxidizer ratio: 5:1 standard
Type: Bipropelent ratio variable (Thrust is varied by changing the fuel to oxidizer ratio.)
Nominail chamber pressure: 632 psi (4.4 MPa)
Weight: 3480 lb (1,580 kg)
Expansion area ratio: 27.5:1

All Saturn IB Launches

Saturn IB Vehicles and Launches

Serial Number	Mission	Launch Date	Notes
AS-201	AS-201	February 26, 1966	1st test flight. Sub-orbital Command/Service Module test.
AS-203	AS-203	July 5, 1966	2nd test flight. Test of SIV-B stage. Tracked 4-orbits.
AS-202	AS-202	August 25, 1966	3rd test flight. 2nd Sub-orbital Command/Service Module test.
AS-204	Apollo 5	January 22, 1968	Earth orbit test of Lunar Module. Launched on Apollo 1 rocket. 36-orbits.
AS-205	Apollo 7	October 11, 1968	Earth orbit test. Crew: Schirra, Eisle, Cunningham. 163-orbits.
AS-206	Skylab 2	May 25, 1973	First Skylab crew: Conrad, Kerwin, Weitz. 404-orbits.
AS-207	Skylab 3	July 28, 1973	Second Skylab crew: Bean, Garriott, Lousma. 838-orbits.
AS-208	Skylab 4	November 16, 1973	Third and final Skylab crew: Carr, Gibson, Pogue. 1,214-orbits
AS-209	Skylab Rescue	1973, 1974	Skylab Rescue Mission. Not flown.
AS-210	ASTP	July 15, 1975	Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, Crew: Stafford, Slayton, Brand. 136-orbits.
AS-211	Unused
AS-212	Unused. Second stage, SIV-B, converted to Skylab space station.
AS-213	Only 1st stage built. Unused
AS-214	Only 1st stage built. Unused