The Saturn V (popularly known as the Moon Rocket) was a multistage liquid-fuel expendable rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs. It remains the most powerful launch vehicle ever brought to operational status, from a height, weight and payload standpoint. The Russian Energia, which flew two test missions, had slightly more takeoff thrust. It was the largest production model of the Saturn family of rockets, although NASA contemplated larger models (such as the Nova rocket). The rocket was designed under the direction of Wernher von Braun at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, with the lead contractors being Boeing, North American Aviation, Douglas Aircraft Company, and IBM.

On all but one of its flights, the Saturn V consisted of three stages — the S-IC first stage, S-II second stage and the S-IVB third stage. All three stages used liquid oxygen (LOX) as an oxidizer. The first stage used RP-1 for fuel, while the second and third stages used liquid hydrogen (LH2). An average mission used the rocket for a total of about 20 minutes.

NASA launched thirteen Saturn V rockets from 1967 to 1973, with no loss of payload. (Although Apollo 6 and Apollo 13 did experience engine failures, the onboard computers were able to compensate by burning the remaining engines longer.) The main payloads of the rocket were the Apollo spacecraft which carried the NASA astronauts to the Moon. It also launched the Skylab space station, and was supposed to be the prime launch vehicle for the cancelled Voyager program Mars probes, a project later carried out by the Viking program in 1976.

The Saturn V is arguably one of the most impressive machines in human history. Over 363 feet (110.6 m) high and 33 feet (10 m) in diameter, with a total mass of over three thousand short tons and a payload capacity of 260,000 pounds (118 Mg) to LEO, the Saturn V dwarfed and overpowered all other previous rockets which had successfully flown. It gives a good idea of the scale of Saturn V to note that, at 364 feet, it is just one foot shorter than St Paul's Cathedral in London.

Saturn V was principally designed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, although numerous major systems, including propulsion, were designed by subcontractors. It used the new powerful F-1 and J-2 rocket engines for propulsion that sent tremors through the ground that could be felt from 50 miles away when they were tested. Designers decided early on to attempt to use as much technology from the Saturn I program as possible. As such, the S-IVB third stage of the Saturn V was based on the S-IV second stage of the Saturn I. The instrument unit that controlled the Saturn V shared characteristics with that carried by the Saturn I.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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