Saturn’s fury: effects of a Saturn 5 launch pad explosion

The Space Review ^ | 04/03/06 | Dwayne A. Day

[KevinDavis]

The Saturn 5 was the largest rocket ever built by the United States. A true monster of a launch vehicle, it generated over 33 million newtons of thrust at liftoff and carried 2.5 million kilograms of fuel and oxidizer. If the Saturn 5 exploded, it could do so with the force of a small atomic bomb, the equivalent of half a kiloton, or about 1/26 the size of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. Naturally, this was a significant concern for Apollo program officials.

During the course of the Apollo program, NASA officials conducted several studies to evaluate the effects of the ultimate worst-case scenario: a launch pad explosion of a Saturn 5 rocket. This was the worst possible accident for several reasons. The Saturn was most loaded with fuel at that point and posed the greatest danger to people on the ground. It also presented the fewest abort options, requiring the firing of the Launch Escape System (LES) rockets that would blast the Command Module away at high acceleration.

[KevinDavis]

[BenLurkin]

Soviet N-1

[sionnsar]

Thanks! I was at the Kennedy Space Center last Friday. The size of the Saturn 5 was... just... awesome! (Haven't downloaded the pictures from my digital camera yet...)

(And so odd, to see how primitive some of its technology looks today...)

[cripplecreek]

And who couldn't love this movie quote/

Hey Harry, you know we're sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has two hundred thousand moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good doesn't it?

[sionnsar]

Was that the Energiya (or something like that)?

[BenLurkin]

The N-1 mentioned in the Space Review article.

[76834]

Been there and done that:

http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/metropolitan/txcity/

[null and void]

I heard the first Saturn V lift off. From Jacksonville.

[Williams]

This reminds me of something so badly done it is unbelievable, and that was the construction of the Air Force's space shuttle launch facility at Vandenberg. they built the shuttle launch pad too close to the control tower, so that a shuttle explosion would have destroyed the entire facility. Hence they scrapped the Air Force Shuttle base after spending billions to construct it. And no one was even hanged as a result?

[r9etb]

(And so odd, to see how primitive some of its technology looks today...)

Yup -- you couldn't possibly rebuild one of them these days, due to the shortage of manufacturers for '50s and '60s-era electronics and materials, among other things.

[cripplecreek]

they built the shuttle launch pad too close to the control tower, so that a shuttle explosion would have destroyed the entire facility.

That's one way to keep mission control on their toes.

[IronJack]

I love this kind of insider information on the space program. The level of detail they had to consider is incomprehensible.

[sionnsar]

Geezer Geek ping.

This is a very low-volume ping list (typically days to weeks between pings).
FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this list.

[6SJ7]

they built the shuttle launch pad too close to the control tower, so that a shuttle explosion would have destroyed the entire facility. Hence they scrapped the Air Force Shuttle base after spending billions to construct it. And no one was even hanged as a result?

Two shuttles lost due to known design flaws and I can't remember anyone being brought to task.

[King Prout]

the Energia is a much more recent design - made to boost their version of the shuttle. the N-1 was a Saturn-era competitor.

[I Drive Too Fast]

From what I seem to remember from watching the spacecraft dvd series on the Saturn V and the Saturn I rockets was that the first stage of the Saturn I rocket became the second stage on the Saturn V. Truly one of the most remarkable rockets ever designed.

I also believe when they launched the missions to skylab and the Apollo Soyuz rendezvous they used the shorter Saturn I rockets.

[Renegade]

Saturn 1-B

[labette]

"I heard the first Saturn V lift off. From Jacksonville."

Wow.
I'm guessing 80-90 miles?

[null and void]

Mapquest says 165 miles. Call it ~130 as the crow flies.

It was loud enough that I heard it from inside over the live coverage on TV.

Got outside in time to see it arcing over the Atlantic.

Very impressive...