Saturn V liftoff (Apollo 12)

Rocket Saturn V lifting off on November 14, 1969 carrying the Apollo 12 mission, seen from the LUT deck in slow motion. This rocket is the most powerful ever built.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• SaturnV
• Apollo
• moon
• space
• rocket
• liftoff
• takeoff
• slowmotion

[crazybastard82]

the description claims that the saturn v was the most powerful ever built...i thought that honor went to the soviet n1 rocket...

[getoffmybozack]

Well, there are several ways to look at it. You can look at the thrust of each stage, the mass of the rocket, the burn time, the propellants used, and so on, but I think that at the end of the day what matters is how much shit you can launch into low earth orbit. Saturn V could launch 118 metric tonnes, despite weighting over 3 kilotonnes, while the N1 could only launch 75 tonnes while weighting 2.7 kilotonnes. I'd say that makes it fair to claim the Saturn V was more powerful.

[NeverforgetElvis]

Roast weenie hot. All the "hoax" people should stick there head up the tailpipe of an F1 engine at launch. I'll throw the switch . . . gladly.

[Cam4cha]

@getoffmybozack It's more useful, not more powerful. Power is (obviously) about power and not load. Not that it really matters if you're more than 14 years old, since it's pretty petty to reduce two awesome machines to a number.

[Polybun]

@crazybastard82 The N1 never did anything but explode.

[jakfuki]

It was hotter than that here in Houston today.

[jimyjim36]

@crazybastard82 also there is the fact that the N1 never survived a single ascent into orbit, so in a sense had no lifting capability at all

[TheSpiritof1969]

@bavarikus

After the war it was essential that America extracted all the missile technology they could. Times were achanging fast and nuclear weapons needed a delivery system. But Braun should never have been made a golden boy with his past airbrushed. America did not need him long term and, like Russia, they had their home grown very competant scientists every bit as good as Sergei Korelov. Once Brauns knowledge had been understood he should have been tried for his wartime crimes and hung.

[TheSpiritof1969]

@bavarikus

With respect the genecides against the Aborigines, Native Americans and other races is a different subject and certainly in Australia it is far from a forgotten issue. Area bombing of German cities at the end pf WW2 will be debated for hundreds of years to come and I will not argue it was not a crime.

But to allow Brauns acheivements to outshine the tens of thousands that died in his hell hole factory is the ultimate betrayal of our own humanity and shames us all.

[bavarikus]

@TheSpiritof1969 - The situation in the 1930s and 1940s was much more complex than you might think. War criminals bombed german cities (women, children, etc.) and didn´t care about war crimes. And von Braun´s duty was to design powerful weapons.

Well, living on the stolen (and still occupied) land of murdered and nearly exterminated Aborigines should make you think about your own situation!

[TheSpiritof1969]

@bavarikus

Von Braun was a vile war criminal and NASA started putting distance between him and themselves a long time ago.

Perhaps they could celebrate his birthday with a memorial service to the 25,000+ slave workers who were worked to death in the underground factory that built the V2 rockets. Research this for yourself. He knew about the death rate (about six humans for every rocket made) and he did nothing to stop it. This SS major should have been hung for the bastard he was.

[MichaelCox]

@NeverforgetElvis

Just tell those conspiracy theorists that

vbo = Isp*ln(Mo/Mf)-(gavg*t)

and about 80% of that 1,000,000lb rocket is fuel. (if that means anything to you)

Yeah, getting to the moon is hard as hell and expensive as hell.

And we FUCKING DID IT.

[MichaelCox]

@getoffmybozack

Very true. The Ares V aims to hit 188 metric tonnes, which would make it even more powerful. Unfortunately it was either Ares or the ISS that would have to take the cut on budget constraints, so it'll be a while before we get to see it in action. I hope we see the Ares program take off again soon enough, but I think our best bet will ultimately come when private spaceflight becomes profitable. When that day comes, we can start talking about colonization of other planets.