Country of Origin: United States of America
Dimensions:
Overall: 19 in. long x 14 1/2 in. diameter (48.26 x 36.83cm)
Materials:
Nozzle and chamber, brown phenolic impregnated silica with fiberglass overwrap; nozzle, sprayed zirconia coating; propellant inlets and valves, metal; white insulated plastic strands of wire, eight.
This is an attitude control motor, or APS (Auxiliary Propulsion System), for the S-IVB (third stage) of the Saturn V launch vehicle developed for Project Apollo to carry humans to the Moon. APS motors provided three axis control of roll, pitch and yaw control for the S-IV during Earth orbit and injection into lunar orbit. Each motor produced 150 pounds of thrust.
APS engines were used in all the Apollo Saturn V flights from 1967 to 1972. The Saturn V last flew when it lifted Skylab, the U.S.'s first Earth-orbiting space station, in 1973. The APS shown here was transferred to the NASM in 1974 by the McDonnell Douglas Co.
Gift of McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company
