S-IVB

S-IVB
S-IVB-206 which was used for the Skylab 2 flight
ManufacturerDouglas
Country of originUSA
Used on
General characteristics
Height17.81 m (58 ft, 5 in)
Diameter6.60 m (21 ft, 8 in)
Gross mass271,000 pounds (123,000 kg)
Propellant mass241,300 lb (109,000 kg)
Empty mass29,700 lb (13,500 kg)
Launch history
StatusRetired
Total launches21
Successes
(stage only)
20
OtherRestart failure (Apollo 6)
First flightFebruary 26, 1966
Last flightJuly 15, 1975
S-IVB 200 series
Powered by1 J-2
Maximum thrust200,000 pounds-force (890,000 N)
Specific impulse420 s (4.1 km/s)
Burn time480 s
PropellantLH2 / LOX
S-IVB 500 series
Powered by1 J-2
Maximum thrust232,250 pounds-force (1,033,100 N)
Specific impulse421 s (4.13 km/s)
Burn time500 s
PropellantLH2 / LOX

The S-IVB (pronounced "S-four-B") was the third stage on the Saturn V and second stage on the Saturn IB launch vehicles. Built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, it had one J-2 rocket engine. For lunar missions it was fired twice: first for Earth orbit insertion after second stage cutoff, and then for translunar injection (TLI).