 Diagram of the S-IB first stage of the Saturn IB rocket | |
| Manufacturer | Chrysler[1] |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Used on | Saturn IB (stage 1) |
| General characteristics | |
| Height | 25.5 m (84 ft) |
| Diameter | 6.6 m (22 ft) |
| Gross mass | 448,648 kg (989,100 lb) |
| Derived from | S-I |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Total launches | 9 |
| Successes (stage only) | 9 |
| First flight | February 26, 1966 |
| Last flight | July 15, 1975 |
| Powered by | 8 H-1 engines |
| Maximum thrust | 7.1 MN (1,600,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 296 s (2.90 km/s) |
| Burn time | 155 seconds |
| Propellant | RP-1/LOX |
The S-IB stage was the first stage of the Saturn IB launch vehicle, which was used for Earth orbital missions.[2] It was an upgraded version of the S-I stage used on the earlier Saturn I rocket and was composed of nine propellant containers, eight fins, a thrust structure assembly, eight H-1 rocket engines, and many other components. It also contained the ODOP transponder. The propellant containers consisted of eight Redstone-derived tanks (four holding liquid oxygen (LOX) and four holding RP-1) clustered around a Jupiter rocket-derived tank containing LOX. The four outboard engines gimballed to steer the rocket in flight, which required a few more engine components. The S-IB burned for nearly 2.5 minutes before separating at an altitude of 42 miles (68 km).