The Naming of the Saturn Rocket
The famous Apollo rocket “Saturn” was named by Wernher von Braun in October 1958. Von Braun, a key figure in the U.S. space program, proposed this name as a logical successor to the Jupiter series of rockets. The choice of “Saturn” was significant for several reasons:
- It continued the tradition of naming rockets after mythological figures, following predecessors like Jupiter, Atlas, and Centaur.
- Saturn, as a Roman god associated with time, abundance, and periodic renewal, symbolized the ambitions of the space program.
- The name represented a progression from the Jupiter rocket series, mirroring the sequence of planets in our solar system.
Von Braun, who was working with the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) at the time, saw the Saturn rocket as the next step in America’s space capabilities. The Saturn rocket family was initially conceived for potential military applications but would later become instrumental in NASA’s Apollo program, ultimately enabling human missions to the Moon.While the exact date of official approval for the name is not specified in the available information, the name “Saturn” was indeed adopted and became synonymous with one of the most powerful and successful rocket families in the history of space exploration.
The Name “Saturn”: Origins and Significance
The naming of the Saturn rocket series was a deliberate and meaningful choice with multiple layers of significance. Wernher von Braun proposed the name “Saturn” in October 1958, positioning it as a logical successor to the Jupiter series of rockets.
The name selection followed the established U.S. military tradition of naming rockets and space systems after mythological figures. Just as previous rockets like Atlas, Centaur, and Jupiter bore names from classical mythology, Saturn continued this nomenclatural convention.
Beyond its mythological resonance, the name Saturn carried rich symbolic meaning. In Roman mythology, Saturn was the god associated with time, abundance, wealth, agriculture, and periodic renewal. These attributes are metaphorically aligned with the space program’s ambitious vision of exploration, growth, and transformative potential.
The Saturn rocket series emerged directly from the Jupiter rocket program, representing a natural progression in rocket technology and design. Between 1960 and 1962, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed a series of Saturn rockets designed for various Earth orbit and lunar missions.
While earlier accounts suggested additional rationales like Saturn’s astronomical brightness or its planetary sequence, the primary motivations appear to be the mythological naming tradition and von Braun’s strategic program development approach.
This nuanced naming process reflects the thoughtful and symbolic approach to space exploration nomenclature during the early years of the U.S. space program.
“Saturn A,” “Saturn B,” and “Saturn C”
Studies were made of potential upper stages for the new Saturn vehicle during the second half of 1959. The interagency Saturn Vehicle Evaluation Committee viewed many combinations, narrowing the choice to design concepts labeled “Saturn A,” “Saturn B,” and “Saturn C.”
In December 1959, following the Committee’s recommendation, NASA authorized building ten development and research models of the first “C” version, or ”Saturn C-1 ” design suggestion. For the time being, the booster was named ”Saturn C-1.”
Saturn became a NASA project and became a vital link with the Nation’s manned Moon program, Project Apollo. In 1962, NASA decided they would need a more powerful version of the Saturn C-1 to take Apollo lunar spacecraft into earth orbit, train astronauts, and prepare for human-crewed flights to the Moon later in the 1960s.
“Saturn C-1B”
NASA named this launch vehicle “Saturn C-1B.” In February 1963, NASA renamed those vehicles. At the NASA Project Designation Committee’s suggestion, Saturn C-1 became “Saturn I,” and the Saturn C-1B, “Saturn lB.”
The Saturn IB was comprised of the S-IB first stage, a modified version of the S-1 first stage that could produce 7.1 million newtons or 1.6 million pounds of thrust by 1973. The second stage (S-IVB), an uprated version of the S-IV stage, could produce 1 million newtons or 230 000 pounds of thrust.
“Uprated Saturn I”
On 9 June 1966, NASA replaced the Saturn IB’s name with “Uprated Saturn I.” The redesignation was proposed to the Project Designation Committee by Dr. George E. Mueller. He was NASA’s Associate Administrator for Human-crewed Space Flight. The Committee concurred with Dr. Mueller that the booster is an uprated Saturn I and should be so-called. In December 1967, though, NASA decided to return to using the simpler term “Saturn lB.” The suggestion was made by the Office of Manned Space Flight and accepted by Administrator James E. Webb.
The Saturn IB successfully launched the first human-crewed Apollo spacecraft, Apollo 7, on 11 October 1968. After completing the Apollo program, it launched three missions to man the Skylab Orbital Workshop in 1973. It was scheduled to launch the American astronauts in the July 1975 U.S. U.S.S.R. Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission.
Called”Saturn V”
In January 1962, NASA initiated the development of the enormous launch vehicle for Project Apollo’s crewed lunar flight. The vehicle selected was the Saturn C-5. It was chosen after six months of investigating the relative merits of Saturn C-3, C-4, and C-5 designs.
Those designs were all based on a big clustered-engine first stage but with different combinations of upper stages. The digital designation followed the sequence established with the Saturn C-1, where the name “Saturn” is also explained).
In 1962, the Saturn C-5 was alternately assigned to “Advanced Saturn.” Early the following year, it was renamed. Nominations were presented to the NASA Project Designation Committee and recommended by the Committee members themselves.
After viewing many alternative names-the leading contender for a while was “Kronos”-the Committee recommended, through Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs George L. Simpson, Jr., to NASA Associate Administrator Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., that the new name be “Saturn V.” The new name was chosen early in February 1963.
The Saturn V’s Final Configuration
- The S-IC first stage with 34-million-newton or 7.7-million-pound thrust
- The S-11 second stage with 5.1-million-newton or 1.2-million-pound thrust
- The S-IVB stage of the Saturn lB
On 21 December 1968, Saturn V launched Apollo 8, the first human-crewed Apollo spacecraft to escape Earth’s gravitational field into orbit the Moon.
Saturn V launches put twenty-seven astronauts into lunar orbit. Twelve of them landed on the Moon to explore the lunar surface. On 14 May 1973, the Saturn V orbited the first U.S. experimental space station, the Skylab 1 Orbital Workshop, crewed by three consecutive three-man crews.
The Saturn Family
Saturn I
- Ten Rockets Flew: Between its development and operational phases, the Saturn I completed a total of ten launches. These flights were critical in the rocket’s evolution, comprising five developmental missions and five launches that incorporated boilerplate Apollo spacecraft and Pegasus micrometeoroid satellites. Each launch contributed to understanding the rocket’s capabilities and refining its design.
Saturn IB
- Nine Launches: Emerging as a more sophisticated iteration of the Saturn I, the Saturn IB represented a significant advancement in rocket technology. Featuring an enhanced first stage (S-IB) and utilizing the S-IVB stage from the Saturn V as its second stage, this rocket played a pivotal role in NASA’s early space missions. Its nine launches were instrumental, including carrying the first Apollo flight crew and supporting crews for three Skylab missions and the groundbreaking Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
Saturn V
- Thirteen Launches: The Saturn V stands as a monumental achievement in space exploration technology. Its thirteen launches were nothing short of historic, enabling humanity’s most ambitious space endeavors. These missions included the legendary lunar landings that took Apollo astronauts to the Moon’s surface and the critical launch that placed the Skylab space station into orbit, marking a new era of long-duration space habitation.
42 Inventions From the Apollo Program
