Clear Lake City in Houston in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Saturn V Rocket
National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark
Saturn V Rocket
1967-1973
The largest rocket built at the time of the historic first missions to the Moon, the Saturn V carried aloft the 45-ton Apollo spacecraft on Earth orbital and lunar missions from 1967 to 1972. It also launched the 120-ton Skylab into Earth orbit on May 14, 1973.
Design and fabrication of the Saturn V were carried out by a government/industry team, which included the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Boeing Company, North American Rockwell, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, International Business Machines, and their subcontractors. Many of the design features were outgrowths of the earlier development work accomplished by military service organizations and their contractors.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers - 1980
Erected 1980 by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 14, 1973.
Location. 29° 33.216′ N, 95° 5.674′ W. Marker is in Houston, Texas, in Harris County. It is in Clear Lake City. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Second Street and Avenue E, on the left when traveling south. The marker is just south of the Saturn V rocket displayed at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Houston TX 77058, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (within shouting distance of this marker); J-2 Engine: Versatile Sidekick (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); F-1 Engine: Power for the Rocket (about 400 feet away); Mercury-Redstone: Putting the First Americans in Space (about 400 feet away); H-1 Engine: A Powerful Start (about 400 feet away); Little Joe II (about 500 feet away); Little Joe II and BP-22: Safety First (about 500 feet away); Apollo Mission Control Center (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Houston.
More about this marker. This marker is in Rocket Park on the grounds of the Johnson Space Center. Rocket Park and thus this marker are not readily open to the public. Access is by way of Space Center Houston (entertainment center) which is pricey. There's a fee to get in, and another fee to take a tram ride through the Space Center where the Rocket Park is a stop.
Regarding Saturn V Rocket. The Saturn V Rocket at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) was originally constructed for the Apollo 18 mission. When that was cancelled, it was decided to display it at JSC in 1977. On July 1980 the Saturn V Rocket was designated a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark and this marker placed. Originally both the rocket and marker were displayed outdoors. Over time the rocket was damaged by weather and corrosion, until a restoration project was begun in 2004. That project built a large hangar/warehouse over the rocket, protecting it for future generations to enjoy. The marker was originally near the five F-1 engines to the north of the rocket, but currently it is toward the southern end of the rocket, near the Command Module.
Also see . . . ASME brochure from the July 16, 1980 landmark designation. Link OK; 04/30/2022 LPG. (Submitted on October 18, 2019, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2019, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. This page has been viewed 428 times since then and 13 times this year. Last updated on December 22, 2020, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 18, 2019, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana.