Saturn C-8

The Saturn C-8 was the largest member of the Saturn series of rockets to be designed. It was a potential alternative to the Nova rocket, should NASA have chosen a direct ascent method of lunar exploration for the Apollo program. The first stage was an increased-diameter version of the S-IC. The second stage was an increased-diameter version of the S-II. Both of these stages had eight engines, as opposed to the standard five. The third stage was a stretched S-IVB stage, which retained its original diameter and engine.

Saturn C-8

Saturn C-8 Launch Vehicle
Function	Manned lunar landing by direct ascent for Apollo program
Manufacturer	None
Country of origin	United States
Size
Height	430 ft (131 m)
Diameter	40 ft (12.2 m)
Width	75 ft (22.9 m)
Mass	10,516,620 lb (4,770,260 kg)
Stages	3
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass	460,000 lb (210,000 kg)
Payload to Translunar injection
Mass	163,000 lb (74,000 kg)
Associated rockets
Family	Saturn
Launch history
Status	Study 1962
Launch sites	Kennedy Space Center
First stage – S-IC-8
Height	160 ft (48.8 m)
Diameter	40 ft (12.2 m)
Width	75 ft (22.9 m)
Empty mass	399,900 lb (181,400 kg)
Gross mass	7,997,200 lb (3,627,500 kg)
Powered by	8 F-1
Maximum thrust	13,921,000 lbf (61,925 kN)
Specific impulse	265 s (2.60 km/s) sl 304 s (2.98 km/s) vac
Burn time	157 seconds
Propellant	RP-1 / LOX
Second stage – S-II-8
Height	140 ft (42.7 m)
Diameter	33 ft (10.1 m)
Empty mass	139,940 lb (63,480 kg)
Gross mass	1,699,400 lb (770,800 kg)
Powered by	8 J-2
Maximum thrust	1,858,100 lbf (8,265.26 kN)
Specific impulse	425 s (4.17 km/s) vac
Burn time	338 s
Propellant	LH2 / LOX
Third stage – S-IVB
Height	61 ft 8 in (18.80 m)
Diameter	21 ft 8 in (6.60 m)
Empty mass	29,345 lb (13,311 kg)
Gross mass	264,370 lb (119,920 kg)
Powered by	1 Rocketdyne J-2
Maximum thrust	220,000 lbf (1,000 kN)
Specific impulse	425 s (4.17 km/s) vac
Burn time	165 + 335 seconds (2 burns for TLI)
Propellant	LH2 / LOX

NASA announced on September 7, 1961, that the government-owned Michoud Ordnance Plant near New Orleans, Louisiana, would be the site for fabrication and assembly of the Saturn first stages as well as larger vehicles in the Saturn program. Finalists were two government-owned plants in St. Louis and New Orleans. The height of the factory roof at Michoud meant that a 40-foot-diameter (12 m) launch vehicle with eight F-1 engines (Saturn C-8, Nova class) could not be built; four or five engines (33 ft or 10 m diameter) would have to be the maximum. This decision ended consideration of a Nova-class launch vehicle for direct ascent to the Moon or as heavy-lift derivatives for Earth orbit rendezvous. Ultimately, the lunar orbit rendezvous ("LOR") concept approved in 1962 rendered the C-8 obsolete, and the smaller Saturn C-5 was developed instead under the designation "Saturn V", as the LOR spacecraft was within its payload capacity.

The Saturn C-8 configuration was never taken further than the design process, as it was too large and costly.

References

• Bilstein, Roger E, Stages to Saturn, US Government Printing Office, 1980. ISBN 0-16-048909-1. Excellent account of the evolution, design, and development of the Saturn launch vehicles.
• Stuhlinger, Ernst, et al., Astronautical Engineering and Science: From Peenemuende to Planetary Space, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1964.
• NASA, "Earth Orbital Rendezvous for an Early Manned Lunar Landing," pt. I, "Summary Report of Ad Hoc Task Group Study" [Heaton Report], August 1961.
• David S. Akens, Saturn Illustrated Chronology: Saturn's First Eleven Years, April 1957 through April 1968, 5th ed., MHR-5 (Huntsville, AL : MSFC, 20 Jan. 1971).
• Final Report, NASA-DOD Large Launch vehicle Planning Group, NASA-DOD LLVPG 105 [Golovin Committee], 3 vols., 1 Feb. 1962

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

External links

• Diagram of C-8 with alternate 2-engine 3rd stage (not to the same proportions as the image above)