A Blast from the Past

[Guest]

Know it's off topic but kinda cool...one thing caught my attention.

Just the gas generator that's used to start the pumps to fuel the Saturn V F-1 engines produced 30,000 lbs of thrust themselves! Heard 15 miles away...


http://seattletimes.com/html/busines...omthepast.html

[ignomini]

Re: A Blast from the Past

This must be the motor they're planning to use. Never got to see an Apollo launch, but even the Skylab launches using an Apollo second stage were bloody impressive.

[wolfee]

Re: A Blast from the Past

Before I was a twinkle in my parents eyes. NASA used to have a couple of test pads for those engines in Palomino valley, just to the East of Stead. In fact, you can still see ware they were.

[Guest]

Re: A Blast from the Past

Truly amazing technology brought about by the use of slide rules and vacuum tubes! Read something recently indicating the F-1's produced a decible level of well over 200dB at close range. The VIP viewing area recorded dB's of over 120dB during launch...at over 3 miles. The thrust of the gas generator that feeds the pumps to fuel the F-1 produce more thrust than each J-58 that powered the SR-71. Damn...

Loudest man-made sound ever...an amazing piece of history. Cool that they're toying with it again. Was at the Cape for a Shuttle launch. Even though I've been to my fair share of Led Zeppelin, Who, and Grand Funk Railroad concerts right up front...the launch made those events seem like a day at the beach.

Von Braun, et al, were truly ahead of their time.

[Propellerhead]

Re: A Blast from the Past

This must be the motor they're planning to use. Never got to see an Apollo launch, but even the Skylab launches using an Apollo second stage were bloody impressive.

Actually, the Skylab crews were launched using the Saturn IB and S-IVB stack. The IB (a.k.a. "Cluster's Last Stand") was an entirely different booster than the S-II (second stage of the Saturn V stack).

I understand the confusion. Rather than keep the existing Launch Complex 34 open or upgrade LC 37 for manned operations (over at Canaveral not KSC), they built the "milk stool" on the other Launch Complex 39 pad. With the IB sitting on the stool it sure looks like the second stage of the V.