The first stages of the Saturn IB rockets, left to right, S-IB-7, S- IB-9, S-IB-5 and S-IB-6, in the final assembly area of Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) near New Orleans.
The first stages of the Saturn IB rockets, left to right, S-IB-7, S- IB-9, S-IB-5 and S-IB-6, in the final assembly area of Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) near New Orleans. The Saturn I-B launched the Apollo 5 uncrewed test flight on January 22, 1968. This mission was the first test of the Apollo spacecraft lunar module ascent and descent stages critical for the lunar exploration missions. The Saturn IB rocket was designed by engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., which manages MAF.
Image credit: NASA