Scale Explorer

Space

How tall is the Saturn V?

Saturn V · Apollo-era Moon rocket, 1967-1973

Height
111 m 363 ft
Diameter
10.1 m 33 ft
Liftoff mass
≈ 2.8 million kg 3,100 US tons approx.
Show
Human, Basketball court (NBA), Boeing 737, Saturn V drawn to the same scaleHuman: height 1.61–1.75 m. Basketball court (NBA): length 28.7 m. Boeing 737: length 39.47 m. Saturn V: height 111 m.Human: 1.61–1.75 mBasketball court (NBA): 28.7 mBoeing 737: 39.47 mSaturn V: 111 mSaturn V111 mBoeing 73739.47 mBasketball court (NBA)28.7 mHuman1.61–1.75 m
Everything is drawn to the same scale, standing on the same ground line. Silhouettes are simplified outlines scaled to the measured dimension. A faded outline shows the top of a size range.

Compare Saturn V with something else →

Zoom out from an average adult to the Saturn V

The Saturn V is too big to show next to an average adult in one picture, so here it is in 2 steps. Each step is drawn to its own scale and zooms out from the step before.

  1. Step 1 of 2 Human → Megalodon

    A megalodon is about 8.6–15 times as long as an average adult is tall.

    Human, Megalodon drawn to the same scaleHuman: height 1.61–1.75 m. Megalodon: maximum length (estimates) 15–24.3 m.Human: 1.61–1.75 mMegalodon: 15–24.3 mMegalodon15–24.3 mHuman1.61–1.75 m
    Step 1: Human and Megalodon at the same scale.

  2. Step 2 of 2 Megalodon → Saturn V

    The Saturn V is about 4.6–7.4 times as tall as a megalodon is long.

    Megalodon, Saturn V drawn to the same scaleMegalodon: maximum length (estimates) 15–24.3 m. Saturn V: height 111 m.Megalodon: 15–24.3 mSaturn V: 111 mSaturn V111 mMegalodon15–24.3 m
    Step 2: Megalodon and Saturn V at the same scale.

Dimensions

MeasurementMetricImperialNotesSource
Height 111 m 363 ft Full vehicle height (111 m); the Smithsonian lists its Saturn V as 4,356 in (363 ft) tall overall [1]
Diameter 10.1 m 33 ft Overall diameter (equal to 33 ft, the first stage's diameter) as catalogued by the Smithsonian for its Saturn V on loan to NASA Johnson Space Center [2]
Liftoff mass ≈ 2.8 million kg ≈ 3,100 US tons Fully fuelled for liftoff (6.2 million pounds); rounded, representative figure. Approximate [1]

About the Saturn V

The Saturn V was the rocket NASA used to send Apollo astronauts to the Moon; the Apollo versions had three stages, and a two-stage version launched the Skylab space station in 1973. It was developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. It stood 363 feet (111 m) tall, about as high as a 36-story building, and was 33 feet (396 inches) in diameter. Fully fuelled for liftoff it weighed about 2.8 million kilograms (6.2 million pounds).

  • The Saturn V produced 34.5 million newtons (7.6 million pounds) of thrust at launch. [1]
  • The first Saturn V was launched in 1967 and the last, uncrewed, in 1973 to put the Skylab space station into orbit. [1]
  • NASA gives the Saturn V first stage (S-IC) as 138 feet long and 33 feet in diameter. [3]
  • The Smithsonian's Saturn V, on loan to NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, is described as the only existing Saturn V with all flyable stages. [2]

How many fit?

  • ≈ 66 × Human · height lined up end to end match the Saturn V · height
  • ≈ 33,000 × Human · body mass on the scales weigh as much as Saturn V · liftoff mass
  • ≈ 2.2 × Olympic swimming pool · length lined up end to end match the Saturn V · height

Counts divide one sourced figure by another. "End to end" uses each object's main measurement; weight and volume rows appear only when both figures are sourced.

How it compares

  • 66× The Saturn V is about 66 times as tall as an average adult. See side by side
  • 2.2× The Saturn V is about 2.2 times as tall as an Olympic swimming pool is long. See side by side
  • 1.5× The Saturn V is about 1.5 times as tall as a Boeing 747 is long. See side by side
  • 1× The Saturn V is about as tall as an American football field is long. See side by side
  • 1/1.7 The Gateway Arch is about 1.7 times as tall as the Saturn V. See side by side
  • 1/2.4 The Titanic is about 2.4 times as long as the Saturn V is tall. See side by side

Factors compare the height of the Saturn V with each object’s own main measurement (height for a human). Where a size varies, the factor is given as a range.

Notes on these figures

  • Liftoff mass varied from mission to mission; NASA's figure is a rounded, representative value.
  • The 396 in (33 ft) diameter is the widest body diameter, set by the first stage; the upper stages were narrower.

Sources

  1. NASA, What Was the Saturn V? (Grades 5-8). Accessed 24 September 2026.
  2. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Rocket, Liquid Fuel, Launch Vehicle, Saturn V, with Transporter. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  3. NASA, Transport of Saturn V Rocket Stage to Stennis Space Center a Matter of Real History. Accessed 24 September 2026.

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