Saturn Family - version 2

[sgt_flyer]

Hello, i'm presenting you new versions of my stock saturn family rockets with several key upgrades

i'm posting a new thread for this new version, because my old Saturn thread first post was starting to have too much things in it

i'll start with the Saturn 1-B - because a lot of the new upgrades were develloped on this rocket (for ease of testing, as the Saturn 1-b has less parts than the Saturn V )

Saturn 1-B

first, here is the mission Album (clic on the image to access the album) :

now about the various upgrades :

the first stage now has Early engine cutoff : the center engines now burn out 8 seconds before the outer engines shutdown.

i've also included an action group to disable gimballing on the 4 central engines, like on the real saturn rockets, the center engines does not gimbal in engine clusters.

this new version has a remade interstage between the S-1B and the S-IVB : the completely hollow interstage allow me to fire the S-IVB engine with the interstage still attached, which greatly reduce the intertial flight phase, which greatly reduce the loss of speed the previous version had during separation - the interstage is now to be dropped 10s after S-IVB engine ignition, and the escape tower will be jetisonned with the interstage.

Remade payload fairing : the payload fairing has been completely remade, now the CSM does not need an additional I-Beam to be coupled to the S-IVB - when you will jetisson the fairing, the CSM will be directly freed from the S-IVB.

The file : Saturn 1-B rev 2

460 parts and 257,82 tons at liftoff.

Flight profile :

Action Groups :

Abort key : decouple the command pod from the rocket, and ignites the escape tower

Key 1 : disable gimballing on the first stage central engines (hit twice before liftoff).

Key 2 : decouple the escape tower from the command pod (only useful after an Abort)

Key 3 : Deploy the parachutes (only after abort, to prevent from going through all the stages)

Ascent phase :

hit key 2 twice before liftoff.

go full throttle until you reach 10000m, then start your G-turn. make a smooth curve to reach 45° at 20000m (the center engines will burn out at around 18000m, when they do, go directly for 45° and activate the ASAS for the stage separation)

first stage separation : when the outer engines burn out, press space to decouple your first stage, and stage again while the Separatrons are burning to activate the second stage's engines.

roughly ten seconds after the second stage ignition, stage to decouple the interstage and eject the escape tower.

continue your smooth G-turn, in order to reach 30° at 30000m, 20° at 35000m, and 0° at 45000m, and continue burning until you raised your apoapsis to the desired altitude. (i usually go for a 101 / 102 km apoapsis with the Saturn 1-B - you'll still be in atmosphere before shutdown, so the remaining drag will bring back the apoapsis close to 100km)

once out of atmosphere, press Space with ASAS on to have a nice fairing ejection and CSM decoupling, before circularizing with the CSM (the S-IVB and fairings will still be on suborbital, so they'll burn up on reentry).

if you wish to recreate an apollo soyouz joint mission, you can add the Adapter inside the payload fairing (there's a decoupler inside the fairing for that) , and go pick it with your CSM after fairing decoupling (like you would go pick a lunar lander)

now that i have my new S-IVB, i'll be soon releasing updated versions of my saturn V, featuring the same several upgrades i granted to my saturn 1-B (notably Early engine cutoff, and upgraded interstage between the first and second stage of the saturn V)

Of course, have fun

Edited June 29, 2013 by sgt_flyer

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

Do note: There was only 1 Saturn-V, also you cannot reserve posts as far as I am aware. Also, nice rocket. Don't see the I-B's much

[jwenting]

he can create an empty post and edit it later

And yes, there were at least 2 Saturn V configurations. The moon landing configuration and the launcher for Skylab.

[stupid_chris]

Not only that, but there were also test version for the new technology used for the Saturn-V, like the new engines and such.

EDIT: Here are the variants of the Saturn rocket used in the Apollo program, not counting those used for other things:

Edited June 30, 2013 by stupid_chris

[sgt_flyer]

note : i won't make the saturn I, because it's not able to put a apollo CSM into orbit - only mockups of it

[stupid_chris]

note : i won't make the saturn I, because it's not able to put a apollo CSM into orbit - only mockups of it

Please do a Little Joe, it's so damn cute!

Also, are you gonna do those that were never actually built? Like most of those here:

Or those:

Edited June 30, 2013 by stupid_chris

[sgt_flyer]

the problem is, we don't have much informations on the engines of the upper stages (because those upper stages simply does not exists ) (although the MLV5-25s looks doable, by using 2.5m tanks for supporting one of the engines i use - but the S-II will need better engines) else, one of the only non existent versions i'll be able to make, would be to add a Centaur stage to the Saturn 1-B

note concerning the c-4 : it might be doable, but i dont think it would be able to carry a LEM