How Much Did the Apollo 11 Weigh?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 24, 2020

Fully fueled, the Saturn V rocket used during the Apollo 11 mission weighed 6.2 million pounds, of which 4.7 million pounds consisted of fuel alone. According to NASA, the Saturn V generated enough thrust to lift a 50-ton payload to the Moon.

Without the rocket or its bulky fuel, the section of the ship that reached the Moon was considerably lighter than the total assembly: The combined weight of the Lunar Command Module and the Lunar Module was 48,450 pounds, or just over 24 tons. After the Apollo Project concluded, the Saturn V booster was used to lift the even-heavier Skylab space station into orbit.