a_v_bw_o_n (prob. MAF-MSFC PAO photo no. 12898 1, verso hand-annotated 3/23/67)
“This photo sequence, taken over a three-month period, shows how the Boeing Company’s Launch Systems Branch assembles the huge, 12-story-tall first stage for NASA’s Saturn V moon rocket at New Orleans, Louisiana. Just as the Saturn V is composed of several stages, each of which is assembled separately, so too its first stage is made up of major parts which are constructed individually before final assembly. Each part is moved into the towering final assembly position by an overhead crane and joined in building block fashion to the segments below. An idea of size can be gained by comparing the stage to the group of men gathered on the center platform of the fourth photo in the sequence. A description of the buildup sequence is given below.
(1) THE THRUST STRUCTURE is the first major component moved into the assembly tower in the vertical assembly building. This structure supports the rocket’s weight and distributes the engine forces.
(2) THE FUEL TANK, capable of holding 210,000 gallons of kerosene, is positioned just above the thrust structure. Fuel at the rate of 1,000 gallons a second flows into the engines during flight.
(3) THE INTERTANK is a corrugated shell which sits above the fuel tank, acting as a spacer between the fuel and liquid oxygen tanks. The dome of the fuel tank protrudes into its interior.
(4) THE LOX TANK can hold 330,000 gallons of liquid oxygen. Five tunnels join this tank to the engines through the fuel tank. Both tanks will drain in flight in just over two and a half minutes.
(5) THE FORWARD SKIRT tops the completed structure. This essentially is how the first stage of the Saturn V will appear on the launching pad after the addition of its engine, fins and fairings.”
Interesting to compare with the official NASA description for this photo. As one might expect, not as 'promotional', hence not quite as embellished:
“This sequence of photos, taken over a three-month period, shows vertical assembly of the Saturn V first stage at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Michoud Assembly Facility here. Built by the Boeing Company Launch Systems Branch, the booster measures 138 feet tall and 33 feet in diameter. The five major structures of the 7.5-million-pound-thrust first stage are assembled in Michoud’s Vertical Assembly Building. The thrust structure, which supports the rocket’s weight and distributes the force of the engines upward, is the first major component moved into the assembly tower. The fuel tank, with a capacity of 210,000 gallons, is positioned above the thrust structure. The intertank, a corrugated shell, is then lowered into position where it connects the fuel and liquid oxygen tanks. After the 330,000-gallon-capacity liquid oxygen tank is placed on the intertank, the booster is topped off by a forward skirt, onto which the Saturn V second stage will be attached. The three-stage Saturn V will launch manned flights to the moon within this decade.”
Despite having seen this iconic photo hundreds, if not thousands of times, in a multitude of varied media over the past 50+ years, I don't ever recall having seen this S-IC stage specifically identified. What's up with that???
For whatever it’s worth, I say it’s S-IC-F (SA-500F). If for no other reason than it being the ‘original’ & complete Saturn V stack, hence the more extensive photographic attention/coverage it would’ve most likely garnered, such as this. I also think it looks like the other S-IC stages in this album that I have higher confidence in being S-IC-F.
As the oft-published & iconic photo that it legitimately is, at least in space-nerd world, it really should’ve been positively identified by somebody/anybody ‘in-the-know’ long ago. NOT pseudo-educated guessing by those such as myself FIFTY+ years after-the-fact. Disappointing.
a_v_bw_o_n (prob. MAF-MSFC PAO photo no. 12898 1, verso hand-annotated 3/23/67)
“This photo sequence, taken over a three-month period, shows how the Boeing Company’s Launch Systems Branch assembles the huge, 12-story-tall first stage for NASA’s Saturn V moon rocket at New Orleans, Louisiana. Just as the Saturn V is composed of several stages, each of which is assembled separately, so too its first stage is made up of major parts which are constructed individually before final assembly. Each part is moved into the towering final assembly position by an overhead crane and joined in building block fashion to the segments below. An idea of size can be gained by comparing the stage to the group of men gathered on the center platform of the fourth photo in the sequence. A description of the buildup sequence is given below.
(1) THE THRUST STRUCTURE is the first major component moved into the assembly tower in the vertical assembly building. This structure supports the rocket’s weight and distributes the engine forces.
(2) THE FUEL TANK, capable of holding 210,000 gallons of kerosene, is positioned just above the thrust structure. Fuel at the rate of 1,000 gallons a second flows into the engines during flight.
(3) THE INTERTANK is a corrugated shell which sits above the fuel tank, acting as a spacer between the fuel and liquid oxygen tanks. The dome of the fuel tank protrudes into its interior.
(4) THE LOX TANK can hold 330,000 gallons of liquid oxygen. Five tunnels join this tank to the engines through the fuel tank. Both tanks will drain in flight in just over two and a half minutes.
(5) THE FORWARD SKIRT tops the completed structure. This essentially is how the first stage of the Saturn V will appear on the launching pad after the addition of its engine, fins and fairings.”
Interesting to compare with the official NASA description for this photo. As one might expect, not as 'promotional', hence not quite as embellished:
“This sequence of photos, taken over a three-month period, shows vertical assembly of the Saturn V first stage at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Michoud Assembly Facility here. Built by the Boeing Company Launch Systems Branch, the booster measures 138 feet tall and 33 feet in diameter. The five major structures of the 7.5-million-pound-thrust first stage are assembled in Michoud’s Vertical Assembly Building. The thrust structure, which supports the rocket’s weight and distributes the force of the engines upward, is the first major component moved into the assembly tower. The fuel tank, with a capacity of 210,000 gallons, is positioned above the thrust structure. The intertank, a corrugated shell, is then lowered into position where it connects the fuel and liquid oxygen tanks. After the 330,000-gallon-capacity liquid oxygen tank is placed on the intertank, the booster is topped off by a forward skirt, onto which the Saturn V second stage will be attached. The three-stage Saturn V will launch manned flights to the moon within this decade.”
Despite having seen this iconic photo hundreds, if not thousands of times, in a multitude of varied media over the past 50+ years, I don't ever recall having seen this S-IC stage specifically identified. What's up with that???
For whatever it’s worth, I say it’s S-IC-F (SA-500F). If for no other reason than it being the ‘original’ & complete Saturn V stack, hence the more extensive photographic attention/coverage it would’ve most likely garnered, such as this. I also think it looks like the other S-IC stages in this album that I have higher confidence in being S-IC-F.
As the oft-published & iconic photo that it legitimately is, at least in space-nerd world, it really should’ve been positively identified by somebody/anybody ‘in-the-know’ long ago. NOT pseudo-educated guessing by those such as myself FIFTY+ years after-the-fact. Disappointing.