Saturn IB Rocket

As an avid space enthusiast, I’ve always drawn rockets and spacecraft. This was especially the case when I was a kid, when I got deep into the history and technology around NASA and the Apollo Program. Below is a series of larger-format artistic infographic based around the Saturn IB rocket, a medium lift launcher that was a precursor to the iconic Saturn V moon rocket.

The Saturn IB was the not-as-talked about launcher when compared to its very big younger brother, with the Saturn V taking most of the national spotlight at the pinnacle of the space race. And yet, the IB would ultimately outlive the V, being the primary launcher of the crewed missions to the Skylab, as well as the Apollo Soyuz Test Program.

The Saturn IB would not survive the changes of spaceflight priorities as NASA focused on the Space Transportation System, aka the Space Shuttle.

These infographics were a test of my skills in being able to do higher detailed and more refined technical artwork. I originally started on this project over a year ago, starting with the S-IVB upper stage. After a hiatus, I returned to this project and finished the artwork, as well as the formatting of the infographic. The result is as you see below.

A full integrated view of the Saturn IB stack.

An exploded view of the Saturn IB stack.

A detailed look at the S-IB, the first stage of the Saturn IB.

A detailed look at the S-IVB-200 upper stage of the Saturn IB rocket.

A detailed look at the Apollo spacecraft, which was launched into orbit by the Saturn IB.