Alabama tears down Saturn IB from I-65 Welcome Center

Over the last week, demolition crews have torn down the old Saturn IB rocket that stood at the Alabama Welcome Center on I-65. After nearly four decades, the rocket deteriorated to the point it was deemed unsafe and efforts by local officials to renovate the rocket failed.

I-65’s Saturn IB is no more

After standing on its pedestal for 44 years, the Saturn IB rocket at Alabama’s I-65 northern welcome center has been torn down by demolition crews. The decision was made earlier this year by Alabama, US Space and Rocket Center, and NASA (who owns the rocket) officials to tear it down after it has deteriorated beyond repaired.

Over the last week crews were seen tearing down the historic rocket with the final piece being seen taken down Thursday. The whole process was documented by TikToker @lauraannstovall from start to finish. The Saturn IB stood just outside Huntsville, home of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center which was tasked with developing and building the Saturn family of rockets.

Fourteen Saturn IBs were built or partially built during the 60s to support NASA’s Apollo program. The first four, SA-201 to SA-204, were launched uncrewed to test various parts of the rocket, including pre and post Apollo 1 versions of the Apollo command module. SA-205 was the only Saturn IB to fly a crewed flight under the Apollo lunar landing program, launching Apollo 7 into Earth orbit in 1968.

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The Saturn IB’s biggest use was in post-Apollo programs that bridged the gap between the lunar landings and the Space Shuttle. SA-212’s first stage was scrapped, however, its S-IVB second stage was converted into Skylab, NASA’s first space station. SA-206 through SA-208 flew the three Skylab crew rotations with SA-210 being used to launch the US side of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. SA-213 and 214 only had their first stages built and were scrapped sometime after Apollo’s cancellation.

That leaves us with two Saturn IBs left, SA-209 and SA-211, neither saw flight but were saved from being scrapped due to their usefulness and maybe a little luck. SA-209 was sent to Kennedy Space Center where it served as a standby incase Skylab 4 or Apollo-Soyuz needed rescuing. It was proposed to be used to boost Skylab’s orbit in hope it could be used by the Space Shuttle but that was canceled. The rocket now sits at Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex in its rocket garden, the only remaining Saturn IB rocket fully intact and on display.

SA-211 stayed in Huntsville, its first stage displayed at the US Rocket and Space Center and its second stage converted into the Skylab underwater training simulator. In 1979 the S-IB first stage was transported to the I-65 Alabama Welcome Center and fixed with a mockup second stage for display. It stayed outside for 44 years until last week.

Some of its parts will be scrapped while other preserved, presumably the original first stage and its engines. NASA still owns the rocket so its fate lands on it for where it will go or what will be done with it.

For the I-65 Welcome Center, funds are available and a program approved by the state to replace the rocket with a full mock-up, but timelines on when that will happen are unknown.

Remaining Saturn I displays

While the only remaining Saturn IB is at Kennedy Space Center, you may find some older Saturn Is. While these were not flight hardware, they were still built to the same size as its upgraded and more famous rocket sibling.

Three Saturn I test vehicles survived after the cancellation of the Apollo Program. SA-T, which served as a test bed for engine static firings at Marshall, sadly only lived long enough to be dismantled last year after NASA couldn’t find a suitable party to take it.

The SA-D Block 1 Dynamic Test Vehicle and SA-D5 Block 2 Dynamic Test Vehicle both remain in Huntsville. SA-D sits at Marshall’s rocket garden with a dummy upper stage while SA-D5 was donated to the US Space and Rocket Center along side the Saturn V Dynamic Test Vehicle and stands vertical with a dummy upper stage as well.

I think that makes Huntsville the city with the greatest number Saturn rockets per square mile.