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MAY-2005
| 3RD STAGE, S-4B
| N WALKER
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The S-4B, as used in the Saturn V launch vehicle, had restart capabilty. After completion of 2nd stage burn, this stage uses partial burn to inject itself and the Apollo payload above into Earth orbit. The J2 engine is then later restarted for injection of the Apollo payload out of orbit and into a trajectory to the moon. After this task is completed, the S-4B is separated allowed to drift in space.
An additional piece of MSFC managed equipment was the Instrument Unit which was a ring 3 feet high and the full 22 foot diameter of the S-4B. It was mounted at the top of the S-4B. It does not seem to be present in the stack displayed at the Space Center. The tapered structure in the photo appears to be a mock-up of the SLA (Spacecraft Lunar Module Adapter).
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