Editing Saturn IB (section)

==History==
In 1959, NASA's [[Silverstein Committee]] issued recommendations to develop the [[Saturn (rocket family)|Saturn class]] launch vehicles, growing from the [[Saturn I|C-1]]. When the [[Apollo program]] was started in 1961 with the goal of landing men on the Moon, NASA chose the Saturn I for Earth orbital test missions. However, the Saturn I's payload limit of {{convert|20000|lb|kg}} to 162&nbsp;km would allow testing of only the [[Apollo command module|command module]] with a smaller propulsion module attached, as the [[command and service module]] would have a dry weight of at least {{convert|26300|lb|kg}}, in addition to service propulsion and reaction control fuel. In July 1962, NASA announced selection of the [[Saturn V|C-5]] for the lunar landing mission, and decided to develop another launch vehicle by upgrading the Saturn I, replacing its [[S-IV]] second stage with the [[S-IVB]], which would also be modified for use as the Saturn V third stage. The [[S-I]] first stage would also be upgraded to the S-IB by improving the thrust of its engines and removing some weight. The new Saturn IB, with a payload capability of at least {{convert|16000|kg|lb|order=flip}},<ref>{{Cite book |last=Benson |first=Charles D. |url=http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4204/ch17-3.html |title=Moonport: A History of Apollo Launch Facilities and Operations |last2=Faherty |first2=William Barnaby |date=1978 |publisher=NASA |chapter=The Apollo-Saturn IB Space Vehicle |access-date=3 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324215804/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4204/ch17-3.html |archive-date=24 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> would replace the Saturn I for Earth orbit testing, allowing the command and service module to be flown with a partial fuel load. It would also allow launching the {{convert|32000|lb|kg|adj=on}} [[lunar excursion module]] separately for uncrewed and crewed Earth orbital testing, before the Saturn V was ready to be flown. It would also give early development to the third stage.<ref name="astronautix" />

On May 12, 1966, NASA announced the vehicle would be called the "uprated Saturn I", at the same time the "lunar excursion module" was renamed the [[lunar module]]. However, the "uprated Saturn I" terminology was reverted to Saturn IB on December 2, 1967.<ref name="astronautix" />

By the time it was developed, the Saturn IB payload capability had increased to {{convert|41000|lb|kg}}.<ref name="astronautix" /> By 1973, when it was used to launch three [[Skylab]] missions, the first-stage engine had been upgraded further, raising the payload capability to {{convert|46000|lb|kg}}.