S-IV

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S-IV
Schematics of the S-IV
ManufacturerDouglas Aircraft Company
Country of originUnited States
Used onSaturn I (stage 2)
General characteristics
Height12.19 m (40 ft)
Diameter5.49 m (18 ft)
Gross mass50,576 kg (111,501 lb)
Propellant mass45,359 kg (99,999 lb)
Empty mass5,217 kg (11,502 lb)
Associated stages
DerivativesS-IVB
Launch history
StatusRetired
Total launches6
Successes
(stage only)		6
First flightJanuary 29, 1964
Last flightJuly 30, 1965
S-IV 100 series
Powered by6 × RL-10
Maximum thrust400 kN (90,000 lbf)
Specific impulse410 s (4.0 km/s)
Burn time482 s
PropellantLH2 / LOX

The S-IV was the second stage of the Saturn I rocket used by NASA for early flights in the Apollo program.

The S-IV was manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company and later modified by them to the S-IVB, a similar but distinct stage used on the Saturn IB and Saturn V rockets.[1]

The S-IV stage was a large LOX/LH2-fueled rocket stage used for the early test flights of the Saturn I rocket. It formed the second stage of the Saturn I and was powered by a cluster of six RL-10A-3 engines. Each one of the engines supplied 66.7 kilonewtons (15,000 lbf) of thrust for a total of about 400 kilonewtons (90,000 lbf). The cryogenic LH2 (liquid hydrogen) and LOX (liquid oxygen) tanks were separated by a common bulkhead. The forward bulkhead of the LOX tank formed the aft bulkhead of the LH2 tank. This saved up to 20% of structural weight.[2][3]

Flight history

[edit]
Mission serial number Launch date (UTC) Image Launch notes
SA-1 October 27, 1961
15:06:04
  • First test flight
  • Block I
  • Suborbital
  • Range: 398 km (247 mi)
  • Apogee: 1,365 km (848 mi)
  • Apogee Mass: 52,500 kg (115,700 lb)
  • Dummy S-IV and S-V stages
SA-2 April 25, 1962
14:00:34
  • Second test flight
  • Block I
  • Suborbital
  • 86,000 kg (190,000 lb) of water released at apogee of 145 km (90 mi) as part of first Project Highwater flight
SA-3 November 16, 1962
17:45:02
  • Third test flight
  • Block I
  • Suborbital
  • Dummy S-IV and S-V stages
  • 86,000 kg (190,000 lb) of water released at apogee of 167 km (104 mi) as part of second and last Project Highwater flight
SA-4 March 28, 1963
20:11:55
  • Fourth test flight
  • Block I
  • Suborbital
  • Dummy S-IV second stage and S-V third stage
  • Apogee: 129 km (80 mi)
  • Range: 400 km (250 mi)
SA-5 January 29, 1964
16:25:01
  • First live S-IV second stage
  • First Block II
  • First to orbit: 760 km × 264 km (472 mi × 164 mi)
  • Mass: 17,550 kg (38,690 lb)
  • Decayed 30 April 1966
SA-6 May 28, 1964
17:07:00
  • First Apollo boilerplate CSM launch
  • Block II
  • Orbit: 204 km × 179 km (127 mi × 111 mi)
  • Mass: 17,650 kg (38,910 lb)
  • Apollo BP-13 decayed 1 June 1964
SA-7 September 18, 1964
16:22:43
  • Second Apollo boilerplate CSM launch
  • Block II
  • Orbit: 203 km × 178 km (126 mi × 111 mi)
  • Mass: 16,700 kg (36,800 lb))
  • Apollo BP-15 decayed 22 September 1964
SA-9 February 16, 1965
14:37:03
  • Third Apollo boilerplate CSM
  • First Pegasus micrometeoroid satellite
  • Orbit: 523 km × 430 km (325 mi × 267 mi)
  • Mass: 1,450 kg (3,200 lb)
  • Pegasus 1 decayed 17 September 1978
  • Apollo BP-26 decayed 10 July 1985
SA-8 May 25, 1965
07:35:01
  • Fourth Apollo boilerplate CSM Only night launch
  • Second Pegasus micrometeoroid satellite
  • Orbit: 594 km × 467 km (369 mi × 290 mi)
  • Mass: 1,450 kg (3,200 lb)
  • Pegasus 2 decayed 3 November 1979
  • Apollo BP-16 decayed 8 July 1989
SA-10 July 30, 1965
13:00:00
  • Third Pegasus micrometeoroid satellite
  • Orbit: 567 km × 535 km (352 mi × 332 mi)
  • Mass: 1,450 kg (3,200 lb)
  • Pegasus 3 decayed 4 August 1969
  • Apollo BP-9A decayed 22 November 1975

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Bilstein 1999, p. 157
  2. ^ Bilstein 1999, pp. 166-168
  3. ^ Apollo Summary Report 1975, p. 187
  • Bilstein, Roger E. (1999). "6". Stages to Saturn: A Technological History of the Apollo/Saturn Launch. DIANE Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7881-8186-3. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  • NASA (April 1975). "Apollo Program Summary Report (Large file)" (PDF).