From: jdb@condor.cchem.berkeley.edu (Justin D. Bukowski)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Saturn V and stuff (was Re: stat - where'd it come from?)
Date: 15 Dec 1993 04:29:16 GMT
In article ,
Paul Tomblin wrote:
>1. NASA lost the blueprints for the Saturn V booster. (I always thought this
>was a UL - besides; modern rocket engines are far more efficient. cf. the
>Shuttle engines)
At the risk of introducing a little information to AFU, here's
an excerpt from the sci.space FAQ:
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.answers,news.answers
Subject: Space FAQ 10/13 - Controversial Questions
Date: 1 Dec 1993 23:17:39 -0500
Message-ID:
Archive-name: space/controversy
Last-modified: $Date: 93/12/01 23:08:06 $
CONTROVERSIAL QUESTIONS
These issues periodically come up with much argument and few facts being
offered. The summaries below attempt to represent the position on which
much of the net community has settled. Please DON'T bring them up again
unless there's something truly new to be discussed. The net can't set
public policy, that's what your representatives are for.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SATURN V PLANS
Despite a widespread belief to the contrary, the Saturn V blueprints
have not been lost. They are kept at Marshall Space Flight Center on
microfilm.
The problem in re-creating the Saturn V is not finding the drawings, it
is finding vendors who can supply mid-1960's vintage hardware (like
guidance system components), and the fact that the launch pads and VAB
have been converted to Space Shuttle use, so you have no place to launch
from.
By the time you redesign to accommodate available hardware and re-modify
the launch pads, you may as well have started from scratch with a clean
sheet design.
