Further Uprating of Saturn I For Missions of the Future

The uprated Saturn I (Saturn IB) Launch Vehicle is discussed, its mission capability described, and it is shown to be suitable for additional missions requiring increased payload weights falling within the payload gap between the uprated Saturn I and Saturn V launch vehicles. Several attractive methods of providing increased payload together with the various methods of vehicle uprating that have been studied by Chrysler Corporation Space Division and NASA are presented. These methods include propellant substitution, S-IB stage propellant tank extensions, and the addition of strap-on solid propellant rocket motors for thrust augmentation. Additional upper stages are discussed as potential uprating techniques. Combinations of solid rocket motors and additional upper stages are reviewed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the capability of the various uprated configurations. Chrysler's analysis shows that uprating is feasible up to 106,000 pounds payload into low earth orbit and up to 25,000 pounds on a Mars mission.