Who built the S-II second stage of the Saturn V rocket?
North American Aviation received the contract to build the S-II second stage on the 11th of September 1961. The manufacturing plant was constructed by the government at Seal Beach, California.
Questions about S-II
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did the S-II stage first fly in space and on which mission?
S-II-1 flew on Apollo 4 on the 9th of November 1967. This launch marked the first flight of an S-II stage with camera targets spaced around the forward skirt.
What is the mass of the fully loaded S-II stage including propellant?
The S-II had a mass of about 480,000 kilograms when fully loaded with propellant. Hardware accounted for only 7.6% of this total weight while liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen made up the remaining 92.4%.
Where is the S-II-14 unit located today after being part of the cancelled Apollo 18 mission?
S-II-14 now sits at the Apollo-Saturn V Center following its origin from the cancelled Apollo 18 mission. It remains there as a static display piece.
How many J-2 engines were installed on the standard S-II second stage configuration?
Five J-2 engines sat at the bottom of the S-II stage in a quincunx arrangement. The center engine remained fixed while the other four gimballed during operation to steer the rocket.