F-1
Rocketdyne F-1 is a single-start LOX/RP-1 gas-generator engine for the Saturn V S-IC first stage. Saturn V used a cluster of five F-1 engines; NASA technical material records 1,522,000 lbf sea-level thrust, 1,748,200 lbf vacuum thrust, 265.4 s sea-level specific impulse, 304.1 s vacuum specific impulse, 18.4 ft height, 12 ft width, and 18,616 lb engine weight. NASA records 65 F-1 engines propelling 13 Saturn V rockets from 1967 through 1973; the final Saturn V flight, Skylab 1, launched on 1973-05-14. This row remains the original F-1 model, distinct from F-1A.
Identity
- Aliases
- F-1Rocketdyne F-1F-1 engineRocketdyne F-1 engine
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Identity Level
- model
- Kind
- liquid-rocket-engine
- Name
- F-1
- Status
- retired
Details
- Description
- Rocketdyne F-1 is a single-start LOX/RP-1 gas-generator engine for the Saturn V S-IC first stage. Saturn V used a cluster of five F-1 engines; NASA technical material records 1,522,000 lbf sea-level thrust, 1,748,200 lbf vacuum thrust, 265.4 s sea-level specific impulse, 304.1 s vacuum specific impulse, 18.4 ft height, 12 ft width, and 18,616 lb engine weight. NASA records 65 F-1 engines propelling 13 Saturn V rockets from 1967 through 1973; the final Saturn V flight, Skylab 1, launched on 1973-05-14. This row remains the original F-1 model, distinct from F-1A.
- Developers
- Dry Mass Kg
- 8,445
- First Flight Date
- 1967-11-09
- Length M
- 5.608
- Manufacturers
- Propellants
- RP-1liquid oxygen
- Retirement Date
- 1973-05-14
- Rocket Specs
- Burn Time S
- 150
- Cycle
- gas generator
- Sea Level Specific Impulse S
- 265.4
- Sea Level Thrust Kn
- 6,774
- Vacuum Specific Impulse S
- 304.1
- Vacuum Thrust Kn
- 7,776
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 29, 2026 at 10:16:00 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 23, 2026 at 09:30:10 UTC
- Image
- Download
Other
- Diameter M
- 3.658
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Publisher
- NASA
- Title
- Glenn Impact on the Apollo Program
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Note
- NASA Science documents the Saturn V S-IC first stage and its five F-1 engines.
- Publisher
- NASA Science
- Title
- Saturn V Stage 1
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Note
- NASA technical material documents F-1 as a single-start LOX/RP-1 gas-generator engine with 1,522,000 pounds sea-level thrust, 265-second specific impulse, and approximately 150 seconds operation.
- Publisher
- NASA Technical Reports Server
- Title
- Rocketdyne - F-1 Saturn V First Stage Engine
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-15
- Note
- NASA records the first Saturn V flight with five F-1 engines on November 9, 1967.
- Publisher
- NASA
- Title
- 50 years ago: The First Flight of the Saturn V
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-20
- Note
- NASA technical presentation lists 1,522,000 lbf sea-level thrust, 1,748,200 lbf vacuum thrust, 265.4 s sea-level specific impulse, 304.1 s vacuum specific impulse, 18.4 ft height, 12 ft width, and 18,616 lb weight.
- Publisher
- NASA Technical Reports Server
- Title
- What is the F-1 Engine?
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-21
- Note
- NASA records 65 F-1 engines propelling 13 Saturn V rockets from 1967 through 1973, supporting the original F-1 model lifecycle boundary.
- Publisher
- NASA
- Title
- Solving Combustion Instability and Saving America’s First Trips to the Moon
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-21
- Note
- NASA identifies Skylab 1, launched on 1973-05-14, as the final Saturn V flight; combined with the F-1/Saturn V identity, this supports the model last-flight date.
- Publisher
- NASA
- Title
- 50 Years Ago: The Launch of Skylab, America’s First Space Station