This booster stage surrounded the nuclear core vehicle with its large liquid hydrogen tank. The conventional stage would draw fuel from the main hydrogen tank until burnout. Hyperion would have doubled the translunar trajectory performance of the Saturn V and less than one third of the liftoff mass. Helios A . Booster stage contains Lox tanks only to take nuclear second stage to stratosphere.
Nuclear sustainer takes payload to orbit or escape trajectory.
Helios B . Booster stage contains Lox tanks only to take nuclear second stage to stratosphere. Nuclear sustainer takes payload to orbit or escape trajectory. Booster stage contains Lox tanks only to take nuclear second stage to stratosphere. Nuclear sustainer takes payload to orbit or escape trajectory.