2,970 t6,550,000 lb
A fully fuelled Saturn V weighed about 2,970 tonnes (roughly 6.5 million lb) when its engines lit. The exact figure changed from mission to mission: Apollo 11 weighed 2,938 t, and the heaviest, Apollo 16, came to 2,965 t. More than 90% of that was propellant. Empty, the rocket weighed under 190 t.
| Apollo 16, at ignitionThe heaviest Saturn V launched, April 1972 | 2,970 t6,540,000 lb |
|---|---|
| Apollo 11, at ignitionJuly 1969 | 2,940 t6,480,000 lb |
| Apollo 11, at liftoffAbout 39 t of propellant burned while it was held down on the pad | 2,900 t6,390,000 lb |
| Apollo 8, at ignitionThe first crewed Saturn V, and the lightest crewed one | 2,820 t6,220,000 lb |
| Empty rocket (Apollo 11)Three stages, two interstages and the instrument unit, no spacecraft | 189 t416,000 lb |
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center worked out the real weight of every Saturn V after it flew, from the weighed dry stages and the propellant actually loaded. At first-stage ignition, Apollo 8 weighed 2,822 t (6,221,823 lb), Apollo 11 2,938 t (6,477,875 lb), Apollo 15 2,946 t and Apollo 16 2,965 t (6,537,238 lb). NASA’s often quoted round figure of 6.2 million lb matches the early flights.
The later moon landings carried more. Apollo 16’s lunar module weighed 36,237 lb at launch against Apollo 11’s 33,278 lb, its command and service module was heavier too, and the second stage held more propellant. Over the same years the empty first stage got lighter, from about 138 t on Apollo 8 to about 130 t on Apollo 11.
The rocket also lost weight before it moved. The five first-stage engines ran for about six and a half seconds while hold-down arms kept it on the pad, and Apollo 11 burned about 39 t of propellant in that time. It weighed 2,899 t at the moment it was released.
Almost all of it. On Apollo 11 the three stages held about 2,700 t of propellant, 92% of the whole vehicle, and the spacecraft carried more in its own tanks. The empty stages weighed only about 130 t (first), 36 t (second) and 11 t (third).
The first stage, the S-IC, held about 2,146 t of kerosene and liquid oxygen. It burned roughly 2,070 t of it and shut down about 2 minutes 40 seconds after liftoff, more than 12 t per second. The second and third stages ran on liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, holding about 443 t and 107 t of propellant.
Everything above the rocket stages was the Apollo spacecraft. On Apollo 11 it weighed 49.7 t (109,645 lb), including the 4 t launch escape tower that was thrown away a few minutes into the flight. NASA says the Saturn V could put about 118 t into Earth orbit, or send about 43.5 t to the Moon.
NASA’s Space Launch System is lighter. The Block 1 version flown on Artemis I weighs 5.75 million lb (about 2,600 t), yet it makes about 15% more thrust than the Saturn V. SpaceX’s Starship is far heavier: fully fuelled and stacked on its Super Heavy booster, it comes to roughly 5,300 t, close to twice a Saturn V.
About 6.5 million lb fully fuelled. Apollo 11 weighed 6,477,875 lb at ignition and Apollo 16, the heaviest, 6,537,238 lb. NASA often rounds it to 6.2 million lb, which matches the early flights such as Apollo 8.
On Apollo 11 the three empty stages, the two interstages and the instrument unit together weighed about 189 t (about 416,000 lb). The empty first stage alone was about 130 t.
It stood 111 m (363 ft) tall with the Apollo spacecraft on top.
No. SLS Block 1 weighs about 5.75 million lb (2,600 t) at liftoff, lighter than a fuelled Saturn V, but its engines and boosters produce about 15% more thrust.
NASA gives about 118,000 kg (130 short tons) to Earth orbit and about 43,500 kg (50 short tons) to the Moon. On Apollo 11 the command, service and lunar modules together weighed about 44 t.
Last checked October 3, 2026.
