Suggested Searches

1 min read

This Week in NASA History: First Test Firing of Saturn V First Stage – April 16, 1965

This week in 1965, technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center successfully test-fired the Saturn V first stage for the first time.
This week in 1965, technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center successfully test-fired the Saturn V first stage for the first time.

This week in 1965, technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center successfully test-fired the Saturn V first stage for the first time. The S-IC booster stage included five F-1 engines, capable of producing a combined 7.5 million pounds of thrust. The test lasted a full duration of 6.5 seconds and met all main test objectives. Today, Marshall is playing a vital role in the Artemis program by developing the Space Launch System, the backbone of NASA’s exploration plans and the only rocket capable of sending humans to the Moon and Mars. The NASA History Program is responsible for generating, disseminating, and preserving NASA’s remarkable history and providing a comprehensive understanding of the institutional, cultural, social, political, economic, technological, and scientific aspects of NASA’s activities in aeronautics and space. For more pictures like this one and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the Marshall History Program’s webpage. (NASA)