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Saturn A-1, studied in 1959, was projected to be the first version of Saturn I and was to be used if necessary before the S-IV liquid hydrogen second stage became available.[1]
 | |
| Function | Uncrewed launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Von Braun |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Size | |
| Height | 49.62 m (162.29 ft) |
| Diameter | 6.52 m (21.39 ft) |
| Mass | 524,484 kg |
| Stages | 3 (all used on various vehicles, now retired) |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to low Earth orbit | |
| Mass | 13,600 kg (30,000 lb) |
| for LEO | |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Never flown |
| Launch sites | N/A |
| First stage - S-I | |
| Engines | 8H-1 |
| Thrust | 7,582 kN |
| Burn time | 150 seconds |
| Propellant | RP-1/LOX |
| Second stage Titan I | |
| Engines | 2 LR-87-3 |
| Thrust | 1,467 kN |
| Burn time | 138 seconds |
| Propellant | RP-1/LOX |
| Third stage - CentaurC | |
| Engines | 2 RL-10A-1 |
| Thrust | 133 kN |
| Burn time | 430 seconds |
| Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
It was designed as a three stage vehicle. The S-I first stage (initially proposed for the Juno V rocket and eventually used on Saturn I) would propel the Saturn A-1 into space, continuing the flight with a Titan I[2]: 3–6 missile based second stage. Finally a Centaur[2]: 3–6 C high-energy double-engine third stage could send a payload into its final Earth orbit or to other planets.
The Saturn A-1 never flew, but all proposed stages were used on different launch vehicles. Today, they are all retired.