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The Saturn C-4 was a conceptual American launch vehicle, originally proposed in 1960 to be used in a Lunar orbit rendezvous lunar landing.
It would have consisted of three stages; an S-IB-4 first stage, a S-II-4 second stage and a S-IVB third stage. The first and second stages were essentially four engine variants of the stages that were used on the Saturn V, while the IVB stage was actually used on both the Saturn V and the Saturn IB.
Although NASA eventually used the Lunar orbit rendezvous method to go to the moon, it decided to use the larger Saturn V which would provide a reserve capacity.
The Saturn C-4 would been able to lift 99,000 kg (218,000 lb) into Low Earth Orbit and 32,000 kg (70,000 lb) on a translunar trajectory. It would have been capable of sending the 30,000 kg (67,000 lb) Apollo Command/Service Module into lunar orbit, but it wouldn't have been able to carry the 15,000 kg (32,000 lb) Lunar Module as well, vindicating NASA's decision to use the Saturn V.
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Encyclopedia Astronautica
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Expendable launch systems |
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Ariane 5 · Atlas V · Cosmos-3M · Delta II · Delta IV · Dnepr · GSLV · H-IIA · Long March (1D, 2C, 2D, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4C) · Minotaur · Pegasus · Proton · PSLV · Rockot · Shavit · Shtil' · Start-1 · Strela · Soyuz (U, FG, 2) · Taurus · Tsyklon-3 · Volna · Zenit
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