posted 10-16-2024 12:20 PM               

Presented below is the step-by-step timeline of one of the Saturn Vs. We pick up the story as the individual pieces leave the factory, headed for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, destined for a launch 3/4 of a year later. We'll follow the rocket through testing, assembly, more testing, launch, Earth orbit, and departure for the moon. The story ends when the last piece of that Saturn V heads off into a solar orbit, or perhaps crashes into the moon.

We'll start with some background information that's helpful in understanding the assembly and launch of a Saturn V. These first sections introduce some basic terminology, describe the buildings where the spacecraft and vehicles are assembled, describe the launch windows which determine when a launch can take place, and introduce one of the most useful instruments in the spacecraft that helps the crew understand what is going on as they ride atop millions of pounds of explosives...

posted 10-16-2024 12:41 PM               

I have always been a fan of the nuts and bolts of the space program since I was old enough to appreciate it, especially Apollo.