How did the Saturn V end up in Florida, and how was the Saturn V rocket constructed inside the VAB? So, how did the parts of the Saturn V rocket get to the Kennedy Space Center in the first place? Before we get to the details of the Saturn V traveling to Florida.
We have to look at where the pieces were made. As counterintuitive as it might seem, the Saturn V pieces were not built where they were constructed and launched from.
Saturn V The Three-Staged Rocket
The Saturn 5 is a three-stage rocket. The first stage, the S-1C, was built by Boeing at NASA’s Michoud facility in Louisiana.
But it was also tested at the Mississippi test facility, now the Stennis Space Flight Center. And even at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.
The Third Stage Of The Rocket
We have rocket stages being built-in Louisiana and California. North American Aviation built the rocket’s second stage, the S-II, in California.
The rocket’s third stage, the S-IVB, was built by Douglas Aircraft in California. All those stages are then tested in Mississippi and, in some cases, Alabama. But they all have to end up in Florida.
Where Was Saturn V Stacked?
In Florida, they are mated, stacked, and then coupled with a spacecraft. Ultimately, they moved on to a launchpad and then sent on their way to the moon. So, how exactly did all this happen?
How Did NASA Transport Saturn V’s Stages?
S-1C land transportation was out of the question. The stage was just too big and too heavy. NASA used barges. Barges could carry the S-1C between Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama through rivers and specially-built waterways.
Moving the S-II stage was a little bit more complicated. It was also way too big to be transported purely by land. And so NASA used barges again for this stage to get it from California to Mississippi.
The Panama Canal
Of course, there isn’t exactly a river from California to Mississippi. And so it used the most readily available waterway it had, which was the Panama Canal.
Surface roads transported the Saturn 5 second stage to the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station. So it could be loaded onto a barge.
Then, that barge went all the way down to the Panama Canal. Then, back up to Mississippi so the stage could be tested.
What Was The Original Route For Saturn V Stages?
This was also the original route for the S-IVB predecessor stages for the S-IVB. The S-II could be transported on the same barge through the Panama Canal up to Mississippi for testing.
Once all the steps were in Mississippi. It was a relatively simple task of loading them back onto the barges and sending those barges over to Florida. From there, they were unloaded and put into the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Where they could be stacked, and then the rocket rolled onto the launch pad.
Problems With Saturn IV and Saturn IVB Stages
However, there was a problem with the S-IV and the S-IVB stages. These were the upper stages of the Saturn 1-B and Saturn 5 rockets. Which meant more of them were needed to fulfill NASA’s Apollo goals.
On the other hand, the S-II was only used for Saturn V. There weren’t as many launches of this rocket planned as there were for the Saturn family.
There was some concern that any Panama Canal issue could seriously hinder getting rocket stages to Mississippi, then onward to the Cape for NASA to maintain its end-of-decade lunar landing goal.
Boeing Straddle Cruiser
If anything happened, the rocket stages couldn’t pass through the Panama Canal. NASA would have no other way of getting Mississippi’s stages for testing and then to Florida for launch. And because the S-IVB was the critical stage, NASA needed more of them.
It looked at alternate ways of getting them across the country. And that alternate way was air travel. It was deemed a crazy idea at first.
Eventually, engineers took a Boeing straddle cruiser and turned it into the Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy.
This aircraft had a significantly enlarged upper fuselage, allowing the S-IV stage to fit inside. It was ungainly, and many people worried it wouldn’t fly.
But it could actually fly, even loaded down with an entire stage. The stage is not fueled. But still, that’s a lot of cargo, and it was able to fly across the country.
Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
And because the S-IVB stage was so critical, NASA built a backup aircraft. This super guppy could take an S-IVB stage in its cargo.
This aircraft was a bit easier to load down with the rocket stage. Because the entire thing hinged in front of the wing. So the whole nose section could open up and then take the entire rocket stage inside.
It was massive and awkward-looking but effectively flew the stage across the country.
Summary
It’s neat to think that sometimes rocket science relies on naval science. During the 1960s, Saturn V rocket stages traveled by barge between Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
And California and Mississippi by way of the Panama Canal. And then ultimately from Mississippi to Florida.
That’s it – I hope you enjoyed the article! Check out this article that reveals the inside of the Apollo Saturn V rocket and its significant components. You will be amazed. See for yourself these fantastic drawings.