Every Saturn V launch
There were 13 Saturn V launches, from 9 November 1967 (Apollo 4) to 14 May 1973 (Skylab), all from Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They comprised two uncrewed test flights, ten crewed Apollo missions (nine of them to the Moon) and the launch of the Skylab space station. No payload was ever lost.
Contents
All 13 flights
Dates are local Florida time.
| No. | Mission | Vehicle | Date | Crew | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apollo 4 | SA-501 | Nov 9, 1967 | none | First flight, "all-up" test of every stage; S-IVB restart and command module reentry at lunar-return speed |
| 2 | Apollo 6 | SA-502 | Apr 4, 1968 | none | Pogo oscillations, two S-II engines lost, S-IVB failed to restart |
| 3 | Apollo 8 | SA-503 | Dec 21, 1968 | Borman, Lovell, Anders | First crewed Saturn V; first humans to orbit the Moon |
| 4 | Apollo 9 | SA-504 | Mar 3, 1969 | McDivitt, Scott, Schweickart | Lunar module test in Earth orbit |
| 5 | Apollo 10 | SA-505 | May 18, 1969 | Stafford, Young, Cernan | Dress rehearsal in lunar orbit; only launch from Pad 39B |
| 6 | Apollo 11 | SA-506 | Jul 16, 1969 | Armstrong, Collins, Aldrin | First Moon landing, July 20, 1969 |
| 7 | Apollo 12 | SA-507 | Nov 14, 1969 | Conrad, Gordon, Bean | Struck twice by lightning during ascent; pinpoint landing near Surveyor 3 |
| 8 | Apollo 13 | SA-508 | Apr 11, 1970 | Lovell, Swigert, Haise | S-II center engine shut down early; mission aborted after a spacecraft oxygen tank exploded; first S-IVB crashed into the Moon |
| 9 | Apollo 14 | SA-509 | Jan 31, 1971 | Shepard, Roosa, Mitchell | Launch delayed about 40 min by weather; landing at Fra Mauro |
| 10 | Apollo 15 | SA-510 | Jul 26, 1971 | Scott, Worden, Irwin | First J-mission, first Lunar Roving Vehicle |
| 11 | Apollo 16 | SA-511 | Apr 16, 1972 | Young, Mattingly, Duke | Exploration of the Descartes highlands |
| 12 | Apollo 17 | SA-512 | Dec 7, 1972 | Cernan, Evans, Schmitt | Only night launch; last crewed mission to the Moon |
| 13 | Skylab 1 | SA-513 | May 14, 1973 | none | Two-stage version; launched the Skylab station, damaged during ascent |
The two test flights
Apollo 4 was the first test of a bold bet: to save time, NASA had decided to fly every stage live on the very first launch. The flight was nearly flawless. The S-IVB restarted in orbit, and the command module, pushed onto a highly elliptical path, reentered the atmosphere at close to lunar-return speed, proving its heat shield. The roar of liftoff shook the CBS News trailer about 5 km (3 miles) from the pad.
Apollo 6, five months later, was much rougher. Longitudinal "pogo" oscillations shook the vehicle late in the first-stage burn; two S-II J-2 engines shut down early and the S-IVB would not restart. Engineers traced the causes (structural-propellant coupling, ruptured lines, crossed wiring) and declared the rocket ready for crews. It was an audacious call, and it allowed Apollo 8 to fly around the Moon in December 1968.
The crewed lunar flights
Apollo 8 turned a planned Earth-orbit test into humanity's first voyage around the Moon, because the lunar module was not ready in time. Apollo 9 then tested that lander in Earth orbit, and Apollo 10 rehearsed the full mission down to about 15 km (9 miles) above the surface. Apollo 11 made the first landing on 20 July 1969.
Apollo 12 was the most dramatic launch: the rocket was struck by lightning at about 36 and 52 seconds into flight. The spacecraft briefly lost its instruments, but the Saturn V's independent Instrument Unit kept guiding the rocket. On Apollo 13, the S-II center engine shut down about two minutes early because of severe pogo, and the remaining engines burned longer to compensate. The mission's crisis, an oxygen tank explosion in the service module, came two days later and had nothing to do with the rocket.
The last three missions, Apollo 15 to 17, used slightly more powerful Saturn Vs to carry heavier lunar modules and the rover. Apollo 17 lifted off at night, at 12:33 a.m. on 7 December 1972, after a delay of about 2 h 40 min caused by a launch sequencer fault; its glow was seen hundreds of kilometers away.
The final flight: Skylab
The thirteenth and last launch put the Skylab station, built inside an S-IVB stage, into orbit. The two-stage Saturn V performed normally, but the station's micrometeoroid shield tore away during ascent. All three Skylab crews then flew on the smaller Saturn IB.
The Saturn Vs that never flew
Fifteen flight Saturn Vs were ordered. The last two, SA-514 and SA-515, intended for lunar missions that were canceled, never launched. Their stages, together with test articles, are now on display at the museums listed on where to see a Saturn V.
FAQ
How many Saturn V rockets were launched?
Thirteen, between 1967 and 1973. Two more flight vehicles were built but never launched after the last Apollo missions were canceled.
Did any Saturn V launch fail?
None lost its payload or crew. Apollo 6 suffered several engine problems but still reached orbit, and Apollo 13 lost one S-II engine, which the others compensated for.
Where did Saturn V rockets launch from?
From Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida: twelve times from Pad 39A and once, for Apollo 10, from Pad 39B.
What was the last Saturn V launch?
The launch of the Skylab space station on 14 May 1973, aboard vehicle SA-513 in a two-stage configuration.
Sources
- Roger E. Bilstein, Stages to Saturn, NASA SP-4206, 1980, flight appendices.
- Richard W. Orloff, Apollo by the Numbers: A Statistical Reference, NASA SP-2000-4029, 2000.
- NASA History Office