Saturn V

The Saturn V is a retired American super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA under the Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon. The rocket was human-rated, had three stages, and was liquid-fueled. Thirteen Saturn V vehicles were launched, from 1967 to 1973, all from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39, nine of which carried 24 astronauts to the Moon from Apollo 8 to Apollo 17. Its final launch was Skylab, the first American space station, converted from its own third stage.

The Saturn V was the first launch vehicle to carry humans beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), with the only other to do so being the Space Launch System (SLS). The Saturn V holds the record for the largest payload capacity to low Earth orbit, 140,000 kg (310,000 lb), which included unburned propellant needed to send the Apollo command and service module and Lunar Module to the Moon. It is the fourth most powerful rocket by thrust at launch, at 34.5 meganewtons, and second most powerful to carry humans, after SLS.