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Delivering Saturn Test Hardware to Marshall in July 1964

This week in 1964, the first Saturn V S-IVB, or third stage test hardware was delivered to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
In July 1964, the first Saturn V S-IVB, or third stage test hardware, was delivered to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

In July 1964, the first Saturn V S-IVB, or third stage test hardware, was delivered to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center from Long Beach, California. Developed and manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Co., the S-IVB measured about 21 1/2 feet in diameter, was about 58 feet in length and was powered by one J-2 engine capable of producing 225,000 pounds of thrust. Here, the fully assembled S-IVB for the SA-503 rocket, the Apollo 8 mission, is in Douglas’ vertical checkout building.

As the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Program, NASA is going back to the Moon to build a permanent base there and develop programs for the crewed exploration of deep space, including Mars.

Image Credit: NASA