| Function | orbital launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Size | |
| Height | 124 m (407 ft) |
| Diameter | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Mass | 5,172,820 kg (11,404,120 lb) |
| Stages | 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | |
| Mass | 200,000 kg (440,000 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Proposal |
| Boosters - SRBs | |
| Engines | 4 UA1207 |
| Thrust | 7.12 MN (1,600,000 lbf) |
| Burn time | 120 seconds |
| Propellant | solid |
| First stage - MS-IC-4(S)B | |
| Engines | 5 Rocketdyne F-1 |
| Thrust | 38.72 MN (8,700,000 lbf) |
| Burn time | 206 seconds |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX |
| Second stage MS-II-1A | |
| Engines | 7 Rocketdyne J-2 |
| Thrust | 63.81 MN (14,350,000 lbf) |
| Burn time | 625 seconds |
| Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
| Third stage - MS-IVB-1A | |
| Engines | 1 Rocketdyne J-2 |
| Thrust | 1.03 MN (230,000 lbf) |
| Burn time | 625 seconds |
| Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
The Saturn V-ELV (Earth Launch Vehicle) was to be an enlarged Saturn V with the addition of four Titan UA1207[1] solid rocket boosters derived from the Titan IV launch vehicle and liquid propellant stages derived from the conceptual Saturn MLV-V-4(S)-A* and MLV-V-1A.[1] Had it been built it would have been able to put a 200,000 kg payload into low Earth orbit or a 67,000 kg payload into a translunar trajectory. The ELV was intended to serve as part of a manned NASA mission to Mars, though that idea eventually fell out of favor largely due to political and financial concerns.[2] A Mars mission would have used a total of 10 ELV's - 6 for the space vehicle and 4 for the logistics vehicles.[2] In addition to Mars, the ELV was intended to serve as a platform for unmanned exploratory missions to Venus.[2]
At the time, it appears ELV was also a generic catch-all term for any large manned rocket. There are references to both the Saturn I and Saturn V as an ELV.[2]
Plans for ELV Usage
According to the 1968 NASA document "Integrated Manned Interplanetary Spacecraft Concept Definition", there was a planned schedule for exploration under the ELV program.[2] After the first manned Apollo lunar landing, NASA was hoping to progress through the following list:
- First unmanned hyperbolic reentry at 65k feet per second.
- First nuclear engine ground firing.
- First nuclear engine and nuclear stage space firing.
- First launch of an uprated Saturn V-ELV.
- First manned hypergolic reentry at 65k feet per second.
- First long-time space soak and firing of a nuclear propulsion module. (Note: In this context, "space soak" means “to leave in space for an extended period of time”[3])
- First long-time simulated manned planetary mission operation.
- First full planetary simulated mission in Earth orbit.
- First manned planet reentry simulation.
- First manned planetary capture mission.
- First manned planetary landing mission.
Vehicle Layout
| Zero Stage | 1st Stage | 2nd Stage | 3rd Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4x Titan UA1207 | MS-IC-4(S)B | MS-II-1A | MS-IVB-1A |
References
- ^ a b "Saturn V-ELV". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b c d e "Integrated Manned Interplanetary Spacecraft Concept Definition" (PDF). nasa.gov. NASA. January 1968. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "Engine Design and Technology Requirements" (PDF). nasa.gov. NASA. January 1968. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
| Early proposals |  | |
|---|---|---|
| "C" series | ||
| Saturn I series | ||
| Saturn II series | ||
| Saturn V series | ||
This page was last edited on 9 April 2024, at 08:02