SA-1 (1)

Pad 34 (1)

Saturn-1 (1)

Milestones:

06/05/61 - LC-34 dedicatation

08/15/61 - S-1 Stage ondock at KSC

08/15/61 - S-IV (dummy) Stage ondock at KSC

08/15/61 - S-IU ondock at KSC

09/06/61 - Full tank pressurization test

10/27/61 - Launch

Payload:

Dummy second (S-4) weighing 25,000 lbs and ballasted with 90,000 lbs

(11,000 gallons of water), Dummy third stage (S-5) weighing 3,000

lbs and ballasted with 100,000 lbs (12,000 gallons of water).

Mission Objective:

Research and Development of the S-1 launch vehicle. Test of the S-1 stage propulsion and verify the structure and aerodynamics of the vehicle.

Launch:

October 27, 1961 10:06 a.m. Fully fueled and ready to go, the Saturn weighed 925,000 lbs. The first stage was loaded with 600,000 lbs of propellant (kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen). Prelaunch preparation began at 7:00am on 10/26/61. Mechanical Office tasks included inspection of the high pressure gas panel, cable masts, and fuel masts; ordnance installation; and preparation of the holddown arms. The propellant team filled the launch vehicle's tanks to the 10% level, using a slow, manual procedure of approximately 750 liters per minute to check for leaks. A leak in the fuel mast vacuum breaker was detected and easily repaired and at 2:30pm the launch team cleared the pad for the automatic "fast fill" operation. Fuel flowed into the launch vehicle at 7570 liters per minute reaching the 97% level in about 35min. The propellants team then reverted to the "slow fill" procedure until the vehicle was topped off at 103% of the required RP-1. The ten hour countdown began at 11:00pm as LC-34 switched to the Cape's emergency generating plant. Loading of the liquid oxygen started after 3:00am (T-350). The Saturn LOX tanks were 10% filled to check for leaks in the vehicle or in the 229 meter tranfer line, as well as precool the line for the fast flow of super-cold LOX.

Two hours from the 9:00am scheduled liftoff, an unfavorable weather report prompted launch officials to call a hold. The count resumed at 7:34am and the launch team rolled the service structure back to its parking area. The propellants team configured the LOX facility for fast fill (9500 liters per min) at T-100 and the blockhouse doors were swung shut at T-65 min. Launch officials, concerned that a patch of clouds over the Cape might obsure tracking cameras, called a second hold at 9:14am. Within half an hour, the countdown resumed.

Launch came when the ground launch sequencer ordered the firing of a solid propellant charge. The gases from the ignition accelerated a turbine that in turn drove fuel and LOX pumps. Hydraulic valves opened, allowing RP-1 and LOX into the combustion chambers, along with a hypergolic fluid that ignited the mixture. The engines fired in pairs, developing full thrust in 1.4 seconds. A final rough combustion check was followed by ejection of LOX and RP-1 fill masts from the booster base. The four hold-down arms released the rocket 3.97 seconds after first ignition and SA-1 was airborne. [Moonport - A History of Launch Facilities and Operations. Charles D. Benson and William B. Faherty. NASA SP-4204 page 62].

Orbit:

Altitude: 137km

Inclination: xxx degrees

Orbits: (suborbital)

Duration: Days, hours, min, seconds

Distance: 344km downrange

Landing:

10/27/61. Impact in the Atlantic ocean 344km downrange

Mission Highlights:

The only major difficulty that turned up with SA-1 was an unanticipated degree of sloshing of propellants in the vehicle's tanks. Beginning with vehicle SA-3, additional antislosh baffels were installed. SA-1 was heavily instrumented with nearly 400 of SA-1's 510 telemetered readings concerned with propulsion, temperature or pressure. Other measurements included strain, vibration, flight mechanics, steering control, stabilized platform, guidance, RF, voltage and current.

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