Explore rocket engines
From Goddard’s Nell to Raptor 3, discover five engines and the propellant cycles that power them. Select an engine below, or start with how rocket engines work.
Rocketdyne F-1 · Saturn V engine
Five F-1 engines powered the first stage of Saturn V. Built around a colossal combustion chamber, each turned kerosene and liquid oxygen into the thrust that began the journey to the Moon.
- Engine cycle
- Gas-generator cycle
- Fuel
- Refined kerosene
- Oxidizer
- Liquid oxygen
NASA · Inside the F-1F-1
OxidizerFuel / fuel-rich gas
F-1
Select a part to explore its role in the flow diagram.
F-1
Real hardware, from assembly to flight. Explore the engines and the rockets they power.
Enlarge1965 · Marshall Space Flight CenterBuilding Saturn V’s first stage
An F-1 is installed on the S-IC thrust structure. Five of these engines powered Saturn V away from the launch pad.
EnlargeJuly 16, 1969 · Kennedy Space CenterApollo 11 leaves Earth
Saturn V lifts off on the first crewed lunar landing mission, driven by the five F-1 engines in its first stage.
