Apollo 8: Saturn V liftoff from tower camera

Apollo 8 launch slow motion footage from a camera located on the launch tower at the spacecraft level. The immense acoustic vibrations driven by the 5 F-1 engines cause the camera mount to shake and wobble. A couple of metal surfaces on the swingarm can also be seen vibrating rapidly.

At the start of the video, only the Apollo spacecraft (the Service Module) is visible.
At 0:30 in the video, the interstage between the spacecraft and the S-IVb (the third stage) is visible. It normally houses the Lunar Module (LEM). Immediately below the interstage and on top of the S-IVb is the Instrument Unit (IU) ring.
At 0:40 the view is centered on the third stage itself.
At 0:50 the S-II (second stage) is in the field of view.
At 0:55 the interstage between 1st and 2nd stages (seen dropping away in practically every Apollo documentary) is visible.
Finally, at 1:00, the S-Ic (first stage) is visible.

The whole interval between umbilical disconnect (T-0) and the engines passing by the camera in reality took something like 9 seconds.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• apollo
• launch
• saturn
• rocket
• moon
• anders
• lovell
• borman

[hbme2103]

what are those white smokes coming out of the hull of the rocket?

[ugowar]

Water vapor. Liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen are very cold and the hull of the rocket gets very cold, causing ice and this wapor. Part of the vapor comes from oxygen relief vents.

If you look real close you can also see ice sticking to parts of the rocket.

[JohnCerveza]

what exactly is the function of the umbilical cord?

[ugowar]

The swingarms (a total of 9 of them on a Saturn V) provide electrical interfaces (telemetry and power) with ground infrastructure, propellant loading and replenishment of subsequent boil-off losses.

[garethmurtagh]

I'm pretty sure that music was from 2010 Odyssey 2, it went great with the video!

[PiccoloNamek]

What is that music? It sounds very familiar.

[franxthe1]

un-fkn-believable... i'd like 2b a moon hoaxer to claim this is just fantasy...

[rakrupski]

Another Q: What was the umbilical on the SM for? Electrical power? Supercritical helium? Something else?

[rakrupski]

Seen it a million time - but it's always worth seeing again. The background music I could do without though.

Looking at the Saturn V... is it the camera or mount that is swaying up and down, or is the whole booster actually doing a slow compression-rebound oscillation?

[chadman1231]

best part is when you can see USA go by

[zazfilm]

deal with THAT, usa detractors

[BeamshipGeneral]

Apollo 1 probably provided some unanticipated motivation to double and triple check that everything worked as it should.

[BeamshipGeneral]

You got nervous? How about the guys who built it, standing 3 miles away in the blockhouse, their fingernails digging into their thighs: "oh god please work, oh god please work"

Or the Grumman lunar module guys: they have to wait until the two astronauts climb back into the CM before they can start breathing again. LM's ascent engine couldn't be tested, it would either work or it wouldn't. But I know what you mean. Read about the timing on the hold down braces, it's amazing it worked as planned.

[bc1969214]

Hydraulic/pneumatic with many backups to ensure they retract. If you google SA-503 Saturn V Flight Manual (15.6MB PDF file) you'll find the detail in the Apollo 8 Flight Journal page links.