Their work would eventually help put America on the moon. The V-2 — “V” for “vergeltungs-waffe,” or “retaliatory weapon” — was first used on Sept. 6, 1944. Two were intended for ...

J-2 engines for the Saturn IB and Saturn V launch vehicles are lined up in the assembly area at Rocketdyne's manufacturing plant in Canoga Park, California. Photograph by NASA Marshall Space ...

At a glance, the rocket will have a classic profile, reminiscent of a launcher even older than the space shuttle: the Saturn V. Like Saturn, each SLS booster will fly just once, then be discarded.