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Launch of SA-1

The headshot image of NASA

NASA

Oct 23, 2013
Image Article
On October 27, 1961, the nation looked on as the first Saturn vehicle, SA-1, lifted off from Cape Canaveral and soared to an alt
On October 27, 1961, the nation looked on as the first Saturn vehicle, SA-1, lifted off from Cape Canaveral and soared to an altitude of 137 kilometers before splashing down 344 kilometers downrange into the Atlantic Ocean.

On October 27, 1961, the nation looked on as the first Saturn vehicle, SA-1, lifted off from Cape Canaveral and soared to an altitude of 137 kilometers before splashing down 344 kilometers downrange into the Atlantic Ocean. Developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun, SA-1 incorporated a Saturn I, Block I engine and was the product of three long years of development. The flight of SA-1 demonstrated the vehicle’s structural integrity, verified the concept of the clustered Saturn booster, and inspired confidence in the Marshall team. The photograph above shows a completed Saturn I launch vehicle in the Fabrication and Assembly Engineering Division at the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Image credit: NASA/MSFC