S-IB

The S-IB stage was the first stage of the Saturn IB launch vehicle, which was used for Earth orbital missions. 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 mi.

Specifications

 * Height: 80.17 ft
 * Diameter: 21.42 ft
 * Number of fins: 8
 * Finspan: 39.42 ft
 * Engines: 8 Rocketdyne H-1
 * Thrust: 1,600,000 lbf
 * Fuel: RP-1 (Refined kerosene) 41,000 US gal (155 m3)
 * Oxidizer: Liquid oxygen (LOX) 66,277 US gal (251 m3) nominal capacity including 1.5% ullage volume (43,284 US gal / 163 m3 in four outer tanks plus 22,993 US gal / 87 m3 in center tank )
 * Burn time: 2.5 min
 * Burnout altitude: 37 nmi

Stages built
Apollo flights:


 * S-IB-1: Launched 2/26/1966 on suborbital AS-201 mission.
 * S-IB-3: Launched 7/5/1966 as AS-203 orbital test mission.
 * S-IB-2: Launched 8/25/1966 on suborbital AS-202 test mission.
 * S-IB-4: Launched 1/22/1968 on Apollo 5 orbital mission.
 * S-IB-5: Launched 10/11/1968 on manned Apollo 7 orbital mission.

Post-Apollo Flights: 


 * S-IB-6: Launched 5/25/1973 on Skylab-2 orbital mission.
 * S-IB-7: Launched 7/23/1973 on Skylab-3 orbital mission.
 * S-IB-8: Launched 11/16/1973 on Skylab-4 orbital mission.
 * S-IB-10: Launched 7/15/1975 on ASTP orbital mission.

Hardware Not Flown: 


 * S-IB-9: Stacked on MLP ready to fly as Skylab backup. Now on display at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
 * S-IB-11: Flight not assigned. Displayed vertically at Alabama Welcome Center until late 2023, when it was dismantled due to weathering.
 * S-IB-12: Flight not assigned. Presumed scrapped at Marshall Space Flight Center in late 1970s.
 * S-IB-13: Hardware scrapped.
 * S-IB-14: Hardware scrapped.
 * S-IB-15: Not built, cancelled by NASA in 1968.
 * S-IB-16: Not built, cancelled by NASA in 1968.