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The past behind what's next.

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F-1 rocket engine

The single-chamber engine that lifted the Saturn V. Five of them powered the rocket's first stage, and none has flown since the programme ended.

  • Revision: 1
  • Dates: 1967-01-01 to 1973-01-01 (year precision)
  • Last reviewed: 2026-08-14
  • Status: Retired; surviving examples are museum artefacts
  • Also known as Rocketdyne F-1

Orientation

Role: First-stage main engine

Operator or programme: NASA

Geography: United States

Chronology

  1. year precisionF-1 rocket engine enters the record.

Related records

  • explained by

    Why was the most powerful engine America flew never rebuilt?

    Confidence: high · 1967-11-09 (day precision)

  • reports on

    How did seven and a half million pounds of thrust become something a person could read?

    Confidence: high · 1967-11-09 (day precision)

  • relates to

    The engine, and the panel that reported on it.

    Confidence: high · 1967-11-09 (day precision)

  • launched by

    The last Saturn V carried the station.

    Confidence: high · 1973-05-14 (day precision)

Inspect the record1 assertion, each with its source

  • The Saturn V first stage used five F-1 engines, each developing over 1.5 million pounds of thrust, for a total of 7.5 million pounds.

    Source class: space agency recordNASA — 55 Years Ago: First Saturn V Stage Tested in Mississippi FacilityView the source

CorrectionsNone recorded

No corrections recordedThis record has not been corrected since it was published.