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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturn V | 3/10 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_V | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T13:12:08.190587+00:00 | kb-cron |
Dynamic testing examined "the vehicle's response to lateral, longitudinal, and torsional excitation, simulating those that would be experienced in flight. The vehicle was "mounted on a hydrodynamic support system made up of four hydraulic/pneumatic pedestals to permit a simulated unrestrained reaction." Engineers tested vibrations in one plane at a time with different amounts of ballast simulating "fuel load at critical time points in the flight trajectory."
Dynamic tests were conducted in three configurations, one for each phase of Saturn V-powered flight. Configuration I tested the entire stack for its bending and vibration characteristics, as if the vehicle had just been launched. Configuration II tested the stack as if the first stage had jettisoned and the second stage were firing, and configuration III tested only the third stage and Apollo spacecraft. Tests began with Configuration III in the Saturn IB dynamic test facility. Configuration III testing took place in late 1965. Configuration I testing followed in the Saturn V dynamic test stand, then Configuration II in the same place. With all the components at MSFC as of November 10, 1966, the second stage was stacked atop the first inside the dynamic test stand on November 23. The third stage was added to the stack November 30, and the Instrument Unit and boilerplate Apollo were installed in December. The rocket was stacked and ready for "Configuration One" testing. Configuration One Testing finished on March 11. Testing produced "several minor irregularities indicating the need for possible engineering changes" Configuration Two testing followed; in which the first stage was removed from the stack to simulate conditions after the first stage had jettisoned. On August 3, 1967, MSFC announced the successful completion of the dynamic test program, thereby declaring the dynamics and structures of the Saturn V ready for its first launch later in the year. The dynamic testing resulted in "several slight modifications" to the final flight vehicle.
=== Launch history ===
== Specifications ==
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, the Saturn V stood 363 ft (111 m) tall, and, ignoring the fins, had a diameter of 33 ft (10 m) at its base. Fully fueled, the Saturn V had a mass of 2,822,171 to 2,965,241 kg (6,221,823 to 6,537,238 lb), with a low Earth orbit (LEO) payload capacity of about 140,000 kg (310,000 lb), and could send about 43,500 kg (95,900 lb) to the Moon. The Saturn V was primarily designed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The rocket used the powerful F-1 and J-2 rocket engines. When all five F-1 engines of the first stage were tested together at the Stennis Space Center, their low-frequency roar shattered the plate-glass window of a bank building in Picayune, 15 miles away. 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 third stage of the Saturn V was based on the S-IVB second stage of the Saturn I. The Saturn V was primarily constructed of aluminum, 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, S-IVB third stage, and 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 the early stages of launch. If the first stage had used LH2, the volume required would have been greater, which would have been aerodynamically infeasible at the time. The second and third stages also used small solid-propellant ullage motors that helped to separate the stages during the launch to ensure proper positioning of the liquid propellants for pump intake.
=== S-IC first stage ===
The S-IC was built by the Boeing Company at the Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Test Facility (now known as the Stennis Space Center), Hancock County, Mississippi. Most of its launch mass was propellant: RP-1 fuel with liquid oxygen as the oxidizer. The stage was 42 m (138 ft) tall and 10 m (33 ft) in diameter. It provided 33,000 kN (7,500,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level. The S-IC had a dry mass of about 137,000 kg (303,000 lb). When fully fueled at launch, it had a total mass of 2,214,000 kg (4,881,000 lb). The S-IC was powered by five Rocketdyne F-1 engines arrayed in a quincunx. The center engine was fixed, while the four outer engines were hydraulically turned with gimbals to steer the rocket. The S-IC had a burn time of approximately 150 seconds.