Dave McGrath ACM Chief Engineer February 18, 2010 Saturn V Propulsion Dave McGrath ACM Chief Engineer February 18, 2010

Presentation Outline The Saturn V Vehicle Stage 1 Propulsion Abort Propulsion Stage 3 Propulsion Lunar Module Propulsion Command Module Propulsion Saturn V in Comparison with Shuttle, Ares I and Ares V Future Directions in Exploration

The Saturn V Vehicle Formally approved as a project in 1961 (studies for certain parts as early as 1957) First flight in 1967 – Apollo 4 - unmanned Last all-up flight 1972 for Apollo 17 14 total missions (3 unmanned, plus Skylab launch) 79 total rocket propulsion engines/motors Some references indicate additional attitude control engines on S-IVB stage (up to 8) – NASA manual does not list 10.1 M total pounds of thrust for all systems 1.072 M total pounds of thrust for all solids (21 motors total – “ATK” 19 motors)

Stage 1 – S1C - Boeing Prime contractor – Boeing Primary Propulsion – 5 F-1 engines from Rocketdyne LOX – RP-1 (kerosene) ~1.5M lbf thrust each 33 feet diameter by 138 feet long Staging propulsion – 8 TE-M-424-6 retro from Thiokol Elkton

S1C Technical Details Dry weight: 288,650 lbm Loaded weight: 5,022,262 lbm Operating Time: 2 min 42 seconds Separation conditions: 38 miles altitude, 6,000 mph

The F-1 Engine - Rocketdyne Manufacturer: Rocketdyne Largest LOX/RP-1 single chamber engine ever made – 1.5M lbf thrust First full-up development test in 1959 Development started in 1957 for the Air Force Significant instability issues overcome in injector design

Additional F1 Photos F-1 testing at AFRL Dr. Von Braun in Front of SI stage on display in Huntsville F-1 Engines at Rocketdyne

S1C Retro – Thiokol Elkton TE-M-424-6 15.2 inch diameter X 84.3 inches long ~82,000 lb of thrust for 0.67 seconds 278 lbm of propellant (78% solids, 2% aluminum, polysulfide binder) 12 point star grain 506 lbm total motor weight Fully submerged steel nozzle Nozzle extensions put on by Boeing at installation Mounted in pairs under each outboard F-1 engine fairing Eight total used per flight 21 motor qualification program completed in 1965

Position of Stage 1 Retro Motors

Stage 2 – SII – North American Rockwell Prime contractor – North American Rockwell (started as North American Aviation) Primary Propulsion – 5 J-2 engines from Rocketdyne LOX – LH2 230,000 lbf thrust each 33 feet diameter by 81 feet long Staging propulsion – 4 TE-M-29-X retro from Thiokol Elkton Ullage propulsion – 4 RS-U-601 from Rocketdyne MacGregor, TX, later Hercules, then ATK

SII Technical Details Dry weight: 80,220 lbm Loaded weight: 1,060,415 lbm Operating Time: 6 min 30 seconds Separation conditions: 117 miles altitude, 15,300 mph

The J-2 Engine - Rocketdyne Manufacturer: Rocketdyne Largest LOX/LH2 space-restartable engine Isp = 421 sec, 230,000 lb thrust Development started in 1960 Design updated by the Ares program as the J-2X

Additional J-2 Engine Pictures

SII Retro – Thiokol Elkton TE-M-29-4 9 inch diameter X 107 inches long 36,250 lb of thrust for 1.52 seconds 270 lbm of propellant (76% solids, 0% aluminum, polysufide binder) 5 point star grain 380 lbm total motor weight Mounted at the base of the stage Steel nozzle Four total used per flight Nozzle canted 9.2 degrees versus straight baseline Recruit design 11 motor qualification program completed in 1965

SII Ullage – Rocketdyne MacGregor RS-U-601 12.6 inch diameter X 89 inches long 23,000 lb of thrust for 3.75 seconds 337 lbm of CTPB propellant 4 point star grain 488.4 lbm total motor weight Phenolic exit cone with metal shell Four total used per flight

Launch Abort Propulsion

Main Abort Propulsion Contractor: Lockheed Propulsion in San Bernardino, CA Abort motor: 26 in dia, 186 in long 3,162 lb prop, 4,794 lb total 138,300 lb thrust, 3.3 sec 76% TS, 2% Al, polysulfide Pitch Motor: 8.75 in dia, 22 in long 8.9 lb prop, 49 lb total 2,420 lb thrust, 0.62 sec

Tower Jettison Propulsion TE-M-380 26 inch diameter X 55.6 inches long 31,500 lb of thrust for 1.1 seconds 205 lbm of propellant (78% solids, 2% aluminum, polysulfide binder) 10 point star grain 528 lbm total motor weight Dual steel canted, scarfed nozzle One total used per flight – normal operation or abort 21 motor qualification program completed in 1965

Stage 3 – SIVB – McDonnell Douglas Prime contractor – McDonnell Douglas (started as Douglas Aircraft) Primary Propulsion – 1 J-2 engine from Rocketdyne LOX – LH2 230,000 lbf thrust each 22 feet diameter by 59 feet long Ullage propulsion – 2 TX-280 from Thiokol Huntsville Used for LEO insertion burn and translunar injection burn

SIVB Ullage Motor – Thiokol Huntsville TX-280-10 8.3 inch diameter X 36.3 inches long 3,420 lb of thrust for 3.81 seconds 58.7 lbm of propellant (81% solids, 2% aluminum, polysulfide binder) 5 point star grain 88.4 lbm total motor weight Steel nozzle Two total used per flight 13 motor qualification program completed in 1965

Lunar Module Propulsion Prime contractor – Grumman Primary Propulsion : 1 descent engine from TRW NTO/AZ50 10,500 lbf thrust Isp 305 sec 1 ascent engine from Rocketdyne 3,500 lbf thrust Isp 311 sec 16 RCS engines (4 pods of 4) Marquardt 100 lb thrust Isp 290 sec Height ~21 feet, width ~14 feet, 31 feet diagonal on pads Weight 33,000 lb

Pictures of Lunar Module Propulsion TRW Descent Engine 10,500 lbf thrust , 10:1 throttle 6 degree gimbal Ablative nozzle to 16:1, radiative to 48:1 Isp = 305 Propellant: NTO/AZ50 Rocketdyne RS-18 Ascent Engine 3,500 lbf thrust Ablative nozzle Isp = 311 sec Propellant NTO/AZ50 Marquardt R4D RCS Engine 100 lbf thrust 16 on Lunar Module 16 on Service Module Propellants: NTO/AZ50 Isp = 290 sec

Command Module Propulsion Prime Contractor: North American Aviation (later Rockwell, now Boeing) Propulsion: Rocketdyne Canoga Park, CA 12 thrusters for pitch, roll, and yaw control of the capsule during re-entry Rocketdyne SE-8 Command Module Thruster 93 lb thrust Propellants: NTO/MMH, Isp ~230 sec

Service Module Propulsion Prime Contractor: North American Aviation Primary Propulsion : 1 primary engine from Aerojet AJ10-137 NTO/AZ50 21,900 lbf thrust Isp 312 sec 16 RCS engines (4 pods of 4) Marquardt 100 lb thrust Isp 290 sec Height 22.5 feet, width ~13 feet Weight 50,000 lb

Payload to LEO Comparison of the Saturn V with Shuttle and Ares I and Ares V

Future Directions in Exploration Back to the Moon? Initial target of the Constellation program Competition from China and India – both of which have stated manned mission goals to the moon Water found Helium 3 for fusion energy (~$1B per pound) Other resources Asteroids? Potentially easier to get to Potential resources for water and minerals Mars? Part of the new NASA/administration long term goals Congress will have a say Strong bi-partisan support for Constellation

References AIAA 96-3151 Thiokol Solid Rocket Motors on the Saturn V Launch Vehicle, McGrath Wikipedia Various NASA websites NASA Apollo manuals – vehicle, spacecraft, Lunar Module, etc Rocketdyne web site Rocket Propulsion Elements, Sutton and Ross, 4th ed. Boeing web site Aerojet web site National Air and Space Museum web site CPIAC – Rocket Motor Electronic Data (RMED) Base

Skylab Launch

Apollo 15 Photo

Apollo 17 – The last mission to the Moon – December 1972

Little Joe II – Altitude Abort Testing Little Joe II flown at White Sands One mission was a real abort Cluster of Algol motors provided main thrust