Schematics of the S-IV
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Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
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Country of origin | United States |
Used on | Saturn I (stage 2) |
General characteristics | |
Height | 12.19 m (40.0 ft) |
Diameter | 5.49 m (18.0 ft) |
Engine details | |
Engines | 6 RL-10 engines |
Thrust | 400 kN (90,000 lbf) |
Burn time | ~410 seconds |
Fuel | LOX/LH2 |
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.
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.