Space History with Saturn V Rocket

The Infinity Space Center will be the host of an old 60s rocket, one of the last model of the series that wrote space history during the Apollo missions.

The rocket was built by Boeing, and most of its 2,000 tons were represented by propellant. The Saturn V Rocket is 138 feet long and has a diameter of 33 feet. Without fuel, it weighs only 300,000 pounds.

The spacecraft has five F-1 engines, out of which four are mobile and were used for control. The fuel used to propel the engines was a mix of highly refined kerosene and liquid oxygen.

The Saturn V series had been used in space between 1967 and 1973, during Apollo missions.

The rocket was designed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, and in 1961 Boeing was designated to manufacture the early test stages.

The S-IC-15 model, which will be displayed at the Infinity Space Center in Mississippi, was designed as a backup vehicle for Skylab launch. However, it had never been used. The advantage is that this particular piece of space history can be seen now in perfect condition.

The old rocket comes from Stennis Space Center, its original testing place and the home of the first rockets that sent a man to the moon in the 60s. Stennis is the very same place that will host the next year’s launch of the Space Launch System, designed to transport humans even deeper into the Universe than before.

The testing of this unused model took place on the 30th of September 1970, and it was one of the last Saturn testings at Stennis. The event involved almost three minutes of engine thrust, while all five engines were fired simultaneously.

It was initially planned for the rocket to be used in the Apollo 19 mission. However, by the end of 1970, the Apollo mission got canceled together with the last other two.

Up until now, the S-IC-15 Saturn V rocket was stored at the Michoud Assembly Facility. From New Orleans to Mississippi, it had to travel on a barge over the Pearl River, and then it was loaded in huge trailers and carried on Interstate 10 just until it reached the Infinity Center, where it had to be reassembled and prepared for public presentation.

The rocket will be a part of an exhibit dedicated to the Apollo program which is intended to celebrate the importance of space travel and the tremendous effort of the 60’s generation of astronauts and astrophysicists.

Image Source: Wikipedia