Saturn 5 carrier rocket (English: Saturn 5[10], also known as Saturn V[15]Nongshen V, also called lunar rocket, was in the 1960s and 1970sNASA(NASA)Apollo program andSkylab ProgramLarge multi-stage liquid fuel launch vehicles developed and used in two space programs.
The total height of the Saturn 5 carrier rocket is 110 meters, the diameter of the first stage is 10 meters, and the total launch mass is 2910 tons;Saturn V is composed of three stages of rocket. The first stage of the rocket uses liquid oxygen/kerosene propellant engine, with a total thrust of about 3400 tons;The second stage uses hydrogen oxygen engine, with a total thrust of about 450 tons;The third stage uses a hydrogen oxygen engine with a thrust of about 90 tons.[13]
Saturn 5Super heavy launch vehicleIs second only to the Soviet UnionEnergy launch vehicleThe thrust of the second largest carrier rocket.Between 1967 and 1973, 13 Saturn 5 launch vehicles were launched, maintaining a good launch record.A total of 9 Saturn 5 launch vehicles will carry peopleApollo spacecraftTo orbit the moon.The production line of the Saturn 5 carrier rocket was closed in 1970.The last launch of Saturn 5 was in 1973. This launch willSkylab space stationInto low Earth orbit.SuccessorSpace launch system(SLS system), known as the strongest carrier rocket system in history.[11]
In the early 1960s, the Soviet Union was ahead of its rival, the United States, in the space race.In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first man-made satellite Sputnik I.On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space.In order to lead the Soviet Union in space, on May 25, 1961, President Kennedy announced that the United States would send astronauts to the moon before 1970.At that time, the only manned space mission of the United States was Alan Shepard's Mercury Red Stone 3;It only stayed in space for 15 minutes and did not enter low Earth orbit.At that time, there was no rocket in the world that could transport spacecraft that could land on the moon at one time.The Saturn 1 rocket was still in the process of development at that time, but because its thrust was far from enough, it needed several launches to put various components needed for landing on the moon into orbit.
At the beginning of the planning phase of the lunar landing program, NASA considered three main ideas: Earth orbit rendezvous, direct takeoff, and lunar orbit rendezvous (LOR).Although NASA did not consider the lunar orbit assembly at first, humans did not even perform the earth orbit assembly at that time, let alone the more difficult lunar orbit assembly.Later, the lunar orbit assembly was still adopted because it could shorten the mission time and was simpler than the other two methods.
Development process
Von Braun, one of the main designers of rockets
The Saturn 5 rocket of the United States still has the largest self weight ever used in human historyCarrier rocket, 110.6m high, takeoff weight 3038.5t;The total thrust is 3408 tons,Lunar orbitThe carrying capacity is 45 tons,Low Earth orbitThe carrying capacity is 118 tons.Saturn 5 is a three-stage rocket, consisting of S-1C first stage, S-2 second stage, S-4B third stage, instrument cabin and payload.The first stage is 42 meters long and 10 meters in diameter, and the diameter increases to 13 meters at the bottom of the tail section.The tail section is equipped with four stable tail wings with a wingspan of about 18 meters.The first stage uses five F-1 engines, the propellant is liquid oxygen and kerosene, and two 10 meter diameter aluminum propellant tanks are reinforced with stringers and spacers.The second stage is 25 meters long and 10 meters in diameter. It uses liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant and shares 5 J-2 engines.The third stage is 18.8 meters long and 6.6 meters in diameter. There is one J-2 engine, and the propellant is liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.
Although NASA had envisioned a larger rocket (such as the Nova rocket), the Saturn 5 rocket is the largest rocket among the Saturn carrier rocket members in history,[1]Saturn 5 rocket is commanded by Marshall Space Flight CenterWernher von Braun Design and development work with his German rocket team, the main contractors includeThe Boeing Company, North American AirlinesDouglas Aircraft Company as well asIBM。
Except for the last launch of Skylab, which did not use S-IVB (the third stage), all other Saturn 5 rockets have three stages:S-IC(Level I)S-II(Level II) andS-IVB(Level III).Use at each levelLiquid oxygen(LOX) asOxidant。The first stage uses highly refined kerosene (RP-1) as fuel, and the other two stages useLiquid hydrogen(LH2) as fuel.Generally speaking, the first 20 minutes of a launch mission are propelled by rockets.From 1967 to 1973, NASA launched 13Saturn 5 rocket, there has never been an accident of loss of payload (althoughApollo 6Both Apollo 13 and Apollo 13 had thruster failures, but the shipboard computers were able to maintain flight by extending the burning time of the remaining thrusters).The main load of Saturn 5 rocket is the Apollo spacecraft carrying astronauts to the moon successfully.The last Saturn 5 rocket launch sent the Skylab space station into space.[2][12]
Saturn 5 Rocket Picture 1
Capital investment
From 1964 to 1973, the total allocation of Saturn 5 rocket reached 6.5 billion dollars, the highest in 1966, and 1.2 billion dollars was allocated in just one year.
Apollo program The main reason for the reduction is capital.In 1966,NASAThe annual government appropriation of was up to 4.5 billion US dollars, which was aboutgross domestic product0.5% of GDP.In the same year, the government appropriation of the Ministry of Defense was 63.5 billion dollars, and the total cost of the Apollo Program was about 24 billion dollars.[1]Therefore, some people believe that funding is the biggest factor for the United States to take the lead in landing on the moon.
Between 1960 and 1962, Marshall Space Flight Center designed different types of rockets for different space missions.
The C-1 rocket is the prototype of the Saturn 1 carrier rocket. The C-2 rocket design was abandoned early in the plan, and then the C-3 rocket design began.The rocket tried to use twoF-1 rocket engineAs the first stage, four J-2 rocket engines are used as the second stage, while the third stage uses six RL10 rocket engines.
NASA plans to use C-3 as the carrier rocket for Earth orbit rendezvous. It takes four to five launches to complete a mission. But Marshall Space Flight Center has begun to design larger rockets. C-4 rockets use four F-1 rocket engines as the first stage, expanding the second stage of C-3 rockets, while the third stage uses a J-2 engine.If C-4 is used, the mission of Earth orbit rendezvous can be completed in only two launches[4]。
C-5 Rocket
On January 10, 1962, NASA announced its plan to build the C-5 rocket.The rocket is still composed of three stages. The first stage includes five F-1 engines, the second stage includes five J-2 engines, and the third stage is another J-2 engine.C-5 rocket has stronger carrying capacity and can directly complete a lunar mission.It can convert 41tonThe load was sent to the moon.
C-5 rocket testing began before the first model was completed.The third pole of the rocket is used as the second stage of the C-IB rocket, and the C-IB rocket will test the design concept and feasibility of the C-5 rocket, and also be used to provide flight data that is very important for the continued research of the C-5 rocket.In addition to testing each important component, the C-5 rocket has also been tested as a whole, that is, the first test flight including all three stages.By testing all components at once, the number of test flights required is greatly reduced.
In 1963, NASA confirmed the selection of C-5 rocket as the carrier rocket of Apollo program, and gave the rocket a new name - Saturn 5[4]。
class arocket engineIgnition sequence: first the central engine ignites, then the surrounding opposite engines ignite at an interval of 300 milliseconds.
The liquid oxygen and kerosene required by the five engines of the first stage rocket engine are provided by one liquid oxygen pump and one coal oil pump respectively. The flow of the liquid oxygen pump is 24811 gallons per second, and the flow of the coal oil pump is 15741 gallons per second.The working temperature of the liquid oxygen pump is - 185 ℃, and the working temperature of the coal oil pump is 15 ℃.
The liquid oxygen pump and coal oil pump are powered by a 55000 horsepower turbine, and the operating temperature of the turbine pump is 650 ℃.
The design of Saturn 5 rocket originated fromV-2 rocketAnd Jupiter rockets.Due to the success of the Jupiter series rockets, a new generation of Saturn series rockets began to appear.FirstSaturn 1And 1B, and finally Saturn 5.Von Braun is hereMarshall Space Flight CenterLed a team to build a shipspacecraftLaunch vehicle for lunar landing[4]。Before they switched to NASA, Von Braun's team had begun to increase thrust, reduce operating system complexity and design better mechanical systems[4]。During the design process, they decided to abandon the design idea of single engine in V-2 rocket and design multi-stage rocket instead.Saturn 1 and 1B reflect changes in design ideas, but they are still not enough to send a manned spacecraft to the moon[4]It takes several launches to send the components needed for the moon landingtrack。However, in the process of NASA making the decision on the best way to land on the moon, their design still provides a benchmark reference.
The final design of the Saturn 5 rocket has several key features.Engineers believe that the best engine useF-1 rocket engineWith the newJ-2 Rocket EngineThe liquid hydrogen propulsion system of Saturn C-5 can optimize the configuration of Saturn C-5.In 1962, NASA made the final plan and decided to continue the research according to Von Braun's Saturn design schemeApollo program Won time.
With the completion of the rocket configuration, NASA began to consider choosing the mission mode of landing on the moon.After the debate, NASA decided to adoptLunar orbital rendezvousMethod.After the problems such as the choice of propulsion fuel, fuel demand and rocket manufacturing process were solved, Saturn 5 was selected as the carrier rocket for the moon landing spacecraft.The construction process of the rocket is divided into three parts from top to bottom: S-IC, S-II and S-IVB. Each part is designed by von Braun in Huntsville and manufactured by other contractors, such asBoeing、North American Airlines、Douglas Aircraft Company as well asIBMCompany.[11]
control equipment
The control equipment unit of Saturn 5 rocket is composed ofIBMMade by the company and placed at the top of the third level.The control equipment is located atHuntsvilleThe computer controls the operation of the rocket from before takeoff to the abandonment of the S-IVB propeller.The control equipment contains systems for navigation and telemetry of rockets.By measuring the acceleration and the height of the rocket, the position and speed of the rocket can be calculated, and the deviation can be corrected.[11]
safe distance
When a rocket accident requires the rocket to self destruct, the shooting range security officer will shut down the engine by remote control, and send another order to detonate the explosives stuck on the outer surface of the rocket a few seconds later.The explosion will cut off the fuel and oxidant tank and release the fuel quickly, so as to minimize the mixing of fuel.The pause time between actions is used to allow spacecraft members to passApollo spacecraftOfLifesaving towerperhapsService cabinThe propulsion system escapes.The third command is used in theS-IVBWhen the thruster reaches the orbit, the self destruction system will be permanently disabled.When the rocket is in the launch site, the system is also inactive.[11]
Launch Dynamics
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The "Saturn 5" rocket was developed in 1962. It flew for the first time on November 9, 1967 and the last time in May 1973. It was planned to launch 19 times, and later cancelled 2 times. It actually launched 17 times, with a success rate of 100%.
Among them, the first to third times are unmanned simulated loop flight, the fourth time is unmanned test flight, and manned flight starts from the seventh.Launched on December 21, 1968“Apollo 8”It carried three astronauts to complete the first human flight around the moon, and then launched seven moon landing spacecraft.The last launch of the Saturn 5 rocket was in 1973, which sent the Spacelab into low Earth orbit[5]。
The only night launch, the last Apollo moon mission
SA-513
Skylab 1
17:30:00, May 14, 1973
Launching with first and second stage rockets
Note: SA-514 and SA-515 are not used[6]
Exhibition
Saturn 5 launch vehicle[14]
How many are there in the United StatesSaturn 5 rocketExhibited in different places in the United States[7]The exhibition places are as follows:
A rocketJohnson Space Center The first stage of the rocket is from SA-514, the second stage is from SA-515, and the third stage is from SA-513 (the third stage of SA-513 was replaced by Skylab).The thruster arrived at the Space Center from 1977 to 1979 and was open for exhibition until the protective structure was built around it in 2005. It is also the only complete Saturn 5 in the exhibition. Its thrusters at all levels are made for launch.
A rocketKennedy Space CenterIt is composed of S-IC test thruster and the second and third stage thrusters of SA-514.It has been exhibited outdoors for decades. In 1996, it was closed for protection.
Two rockets are kept at the American Space Rocket Center in Huntsville:
The horizontal exhibition includes S-IC-D, S-II-F/D and S-IVB-D thrusters, which are used for testing rather than flying.The rocket had been exhibited outdoors for decades, and then was restored and exhibited at the Davidson Space Exploration Center.
The vertical display is a replica built in 1999.
The S-IC thruster of the SA-515 was exhibited at the Mijo assembly plant in Louisiana.
The S-IVB thruster of SA-515 was used as a backup of Skylab and exhibited at the National Aerospace Museum in Washington.[11]
Saturn 5 Rocket Picture 3
Missing drawing
The Skylab launched by the last mission of Saturn 5
For a long time, rumors about the destruction of the Saturn V design blueprint continued. NASA officials came forward to clarify that the Saturn V design blueprint was still intact.However, rebuilding completely as is would waste huge resources and have no practical significance[8]。
NASA officials denied a statement by the author of a book claiming that the powerfulSaturn 5 rocketThe design blueprint is missing.
The denial statement was caused by a report on the Space Network, which described a claim made by John Lewis in his 1996 edition of "Digging into Space". He said that he had been searching for the design blueprint of Saturn 5 several years ago, and the conclusion was that they were incredibly "lost"[8]。
Official refutation
Paul Shawcross, an official from the Office of the Inspector General of NASA, made an official defense and published it on CCNet (an academic electronic communication journal about the threat posed by asteroids and comets).Shawcross said the Saturn 5 rocket blueprint is stored inMarshall Space Flight Center On microfilm."It is pointless to try to rebuild Saturn 5... The key is that those thousands of parts are no longer produced.
"The federal archives department at East Point, Georgia, also has 2900 cubic feet of documents about Saturn," he said. "There are dozens of files of relevant information in the Saturn 5 technical data retention plan.This work started in the late 1960s to record all aspects of F1 and J2 engine production, so as to help restart the Saturn 5 rocket program in the future[8]。”
Unintentional reconstruction
Shawcross warned that rebuilding the Saturn 5 rocket would require more resources than a good blueprint."The problem facing the reconstruction of Saturn 5 is not to find its design blueprint, but to find the manufacturers that can provide the old hardware equipment in the mid-1960s," he wrote. "The fact is that the launch pad and carrier rocket assembly workshop have been converted into space shuttles, so there is no place to use as a launch site."When the launch pad is redesigned and rebuilt based on available hardware, it is better to start with a blank and clear sketch," he wrote.
Some Saturn 5 rocket drawings
Subsequent projects
Due to the huge cost of reopening the production line of Saturn V and the fact that Saturn V is a technological product of the United States in the 1960s, which has fallen behind the space technology of the United States, NASA decided to develop a successor in order to meet the increasingly important strategic plan of high frontierSpace launch system(SLS system) Continuing the U.S. strategy of pioneering the sky, the "space launch system" will be able to launch 77 to 130 tons of cargo into space, which can be used to launch the six person Orion multi-function crew module. The ultimate carrying capacity will reach 143 tons, and may even reach 165 tons.In contrast, the long-term dormant Saturn V rocket that once sent astronauts to the moon has a delivery capacity of 130 tons, the space shuttle has a delivery capacity of 27 tons, and the current largest unmanned rocket is only about 25 tons[9]。
Overall evaluation
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The most powerful rocket in the world:The Saturn 5 carrier rocket is the most powerful rocket in the world, with a thrust of 3408 tons.
The Saturn 5 carrier rocket is the final model of the Saturn series of rockets. It is specially developed by the United States to achieve the "Apollo" spacecraft landing on the moon. The goal is to win the "moon race" between the United States and the Soviet Union.[12]（Guinness World RecordsComments on China Manned Space Network）
The Saturn 5 carrier rocket is the most successful heavy rocket in the space history. It took only six years for researchers to complete the whole process from demonstration to first flight.In the following six years, 13 Saturn 5 heavy rockets were launched successively, without any failure.Considering the technical level of the 1960s, this achievement can be called a miracle, but behind it are complex technical measures and excellent project management ability.[14]（China Military Online Review）
