Studied in 1959, the ''Saturn B-1'', was a four-stage concept rocket similar to the
Jupiter-C
The Jupiter-C was an American research and development vehicle developed from the Jupiter-A. Jupiter-C was used for three unmanned sub-orbital spaceflights in 1956 and 1957 to test re-entry nosecones that were later to be deployed on the more ...
, and consisted of a
Saturn IB
The Saturn IB (also known as the uprated Saturn I) was an American launch vehicle commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the Apollo program. It uprated the Saturn I by replacing the S-IV second stage (, 43, ...
first stage, a cluster of four
Titan I
The Martin Marietta SM-68A/HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), in use from 1959 until 1962. Though the SM-68A was operational for only three years, it spawned numerous follow-on mode ...
first stages used for a second stage, a
S-IV
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 th ...
third stage and a
Centaur
A centaur ( ; grc, κένταυρος, kéntauros; ), or occasionally hippocentaur, is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse.
Centaurs are thought of in many Greek myths as bein ...
high-energy liquid-fueled fourth stage. Like its proposed predecessors, the Saturn B-1 never flew and neither did the Titan cluster stage. The
S-IV
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 th ...
however flew on the
Saturn I
The Saturn I was a rocket designed as the United States' first medium lift launch vehicle for up to low Earth orbit payloads.Terminology has changed since the 1960s; back then, 20,000 pounds was considered "heavy lift". The rocket's first s ...
.
See also
*
List of space launch system designs
Even before the launch of Sputnik 1, there were various types of launch vehicle designs. The launch vehicle designs described below are either canceled or never left the drawing board.
20th century
21st century
See also
*Comparison of or ...
References
* Koelle, Heinz Hermann, ''Handbook of Astronautical Engineering'', McGraw-Hill,New York, 1961. The only such comprehensive handbook ever produced, and at the dawn of the space age.
* Bilstein, Roger E, ''Stages to Saturn'', US Government Printing Office, 1980. . Excellent account of the evolution, design, and development of the Saturn launch vehicles.
{{Saturns
Saturn (rocket family)
Cancelled space launch vehicles