Saturn C-8 Launch Vehicle |
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| Function | Heavy Manned Launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Never Assigned |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Cost per launch (1985) | c. $58,300,000 (USD) |
| Size | |
| Height | 131m |
| Diameter | 12.19 m |
| Mass | 4,770,260 kg |
| Stages | 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | 210,000 kg |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Unbuilt |
| Launch sites | Kennedy Space Center |
| Total launches | 0 |
| First stage - Increased Diameter S-IC | |
| Engines | 8 F-1 |
| Thrust | 6,314,600 kgf (61,925 kN) |
| Specific impulse | 304 s (3.02 kN·s/kg) |
| Burn time | 157 seconds |
| Fuel | LOX/Kerosene |
| Second stage - Increased Diameter S-II | |
| Engines | 8 J-2 |
| Thrust | 842,822 kgf (8,265.26 kN) |
| Specific impulse | 425 s (4.17 kN·s/kg) |
| Burn time | 306 s |
| Fuel | LOX/LH2 |
| Third stage - S-IVB Stretch (Details not available, description is for standard S-IVB) |
|
| Engines | 1 Rocketdyne J-2 |
| Thrust | 1 MN (225,000 lbf) |
| Burn time | 165 + 335 seconds (2 burns) |
| Fuel | LH2/LOX |
The Saturn C-8 was the largest member of the Saturn series of rockets to be designed. [1] It was a potential alternative to the Nova rocket, should NASA have chosen a direct-landing method of lunar exploration for the Apollo program. The first stage was an increased diameter version of the S-IC. The second stage was an increased diameter S-II stage. Both of these stages had eight engines, as opposed to the standard five. The third stage was a stretched S-IVB stage, which retained its original diameter and engine.
Ultimately, the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous ("LOR") concept rendered the C-8 obsolete, and the smaller Saturn C-5 was developed instead under the designation "Saturn V", as the LOR spacecraft was within its payload capacity.
The C-8 was never taken further than the design process as it was too large and costly.
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