Nova (rocket)

The Nova and Saturn V designs closely mirrored each other in basic concept, power, size, and function.

Differences were minor but practical, and the Saturn was ultimately selected for the Apollo program, largely because it would reuse existing facilities to a greater extent and could make it to the pad somewhat earlier.

The U.S. Air Force was in the process of defining its Lunex Project, including a massive booster design using a cluster of solid fuel rockets in the lower stage with liquid hydrogen-powered uppers mounting the J-2 or M-1.

In 1959 the Army decided it was no longer interested in developing large boosters, for which it had no immediate need, and it passed von Braun's team over to NASA.

This left NASA with two large booster designs: its own Nova, and von Braun's recently renamed Saturn ("the one after Jupiter").

Originally, NASA had designed Nova for the "direct ascent" mission profile, in which a single large spacecraft would be placed in Earth orbit, and after transferring to a lunar orbit, would land directly on the Moon and take off without the need for rendezvous and docking with multiple spacecraft, which was as yet untried and perceived to be difficult.

Other designs in the series replaced the F-1s with large solids, while others studied nuclear rocket engines for the upper stages.

Dr. von Braun's favored approach remained Earth Orbit Rendezvous (EOR), but this time based on two Saturn C-3's.

[citation needed] Studies on the Nova series continued into 1962 as a backup for Saturn, but were eventually ended as the Saturn-based LOR profile became ingrained.

For this role the Saturn V was far too small, and a second series of Nova design studies started for launchers of up to 1,296,000 pounds (588,000 kg) planned for 1977[3] delivered to LEO.