Author Topic: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket  (Read 11274 times)

Offline Michel Van

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Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« on: 05/28/2017 02:07 pm »
i looking for good books about Saturn V

But more informative as in  "Stages on Saturn" or "Saturn Illustrated Chronology"
what i looking for is Technical stuff like Saturn V components mass breakdown or Subsystems in Detail

any  suggestion ?

Offline Hobbes-22

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #1 on: 05/28/2017 06:32 pm »
There's quite a lot on Saturn in the NTRS. Not as slick as a well-edited book, but it's a primary source. Look for press kits as a starting point.

Also e.g. https://history.msfc.nasa.gov/saturn_apollo/

Offline rocketguy101

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #2 on: 05/29/2017 01:03 am »
There is a pdf on NASA's history site called Apollo by The Numbers  I believe is also available as book
David

Offline Michel Van

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #3 on: 05/29/2017 09:09 am »
Thank for the info, rocketguy101, Hobbes-22

i got the PDF  "Apollo by The Numbers" 
also allot Saturn V PDF from NTRS, like Flight Manual and press release 

but the last source got a lousy search engine...
 

Offline jgoldader

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #4 on: 05/29/2017 10:54 am »
It is a pity if there's not something like Jenkins' STS books for Saturn, but I've never even heard of one if it exists.  Too late to make one now, most likely; most of the people who knew it intimately are gone.  Take a look at "Chariots for Apollo," SP-4205, though it doesn't have the focus on hardware you seem to want.
Recovering astronomer

Offline rocketguy101

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #5 on: 05/29/2017 12:51 pm »
I saw this in your other thread, so I'm quoting it here as a source (hopefully I copy/paste the quote correctly :) )  The attachment is in the other thread

I've found several links to this and other related documents on NTRS, but they're all dead. Presumably removed in that purge some years back. Anyone got a copy they can host here? In addition to what you mention, I also see references to multiple documents from a "J-2S Improvement Study", and "Comments on the J-2S engine impacting on the Saturn V program"

I have found in my own stuff the J-2S Improvement Study Systems Description (attached) but none of the other documents from that study
David

Offline Oersted

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #6 on: 06/12/2017 10:27 pm »
I second the request.

Scott Manley did a great youtube vid about Saturn V details:

...I'd love to dive into a rabbit hole with much more of this, and perhaps a development history too.

Joe Sutter and Tom Kelly's books about the development of the Boeing 747 and the Grumman Lunar Module were wonderful reads. Something similar about the Saturn V would be fantastic.

It was one of the most iconic machines in history. Surely there must have been fantastic books written about it!

Offline Moskit

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #7 on: 06/14/2017 06:12 pm »
"Saturn" by Alan Lawrie has about 50-60 pages describing various components. Majority of the book is about history of development, testing and launches.
http://www.cgpublishing.com/Books/Saturn.html

There is (was?) a limited number of copies signed by surviving members of von Braun rocket team:
http://www.cgpublishing.com/Books/SaturnSig.html

Offline Oersted

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #8 on: 06/14/2017 06:46 pm »
Thanks Moskit, looks good, though I am not really interested in the particulars of what happened to each stage, how it was transported, the dates they were tested, etc, etc. Will hear if there are other suggestions and then I may buy Lawrie's book. Thanks again!

Offline hoku

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #9 on: 06/15/2017 05:10 pm »
Still on my reading list is David Woods' "Saturn V Owners' Workshop Manual" (see attached jpg for the table of contents). I recently finished "How Apollo flew to the moon" by Woods, and liked the level of detail and focus on explaining various procedures quite a lot.

I also enjoyed listening to the most recent Omega Tau podcast with David, which gives you a good "sampling" of his "story telling" style: http://omegataupodcast.net/239-the-saturn-v-launch-vehicle/

Offline Oersted

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #10 on: 06/15/2017 09:59 pm »
Wauw Hoku, that one looks exactly right. Will listen to the podcast and then decide on buying. Great posting, thanks!

Offline Moskit

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #11 on: 06/21/2017 12:22 pm »
Thanks Moskit, looks good, though I am not really interested in the particulars of what happened to each stage, how it was transported, the dates they were tested, etc, etc. Will hear if there are other suggestions and then I may buy Lawrie's book. Thanks again!

"Saturn" book's subtitle is actually "The complete manufacturing and test records plus supplemental material".
* pages 13-86 describe various subsystems of the rocket, with the main technical details (mass, diameter, power, pressure, how it works) described for each item. Language is quite dry, fact-stating rather than explaining. I found an entertaining editing error(?) on p.78: "J-2 [...] chamber is hell-shaped [...]" ;-)
* pages 93-129 contain overview of the facitlities and test goals.
* pages 135-289 provide manufacturing/test records. This would be the "boring" part, although it does provide technical information on what was tested, discovered etc., not just dates.
* pages 293-318 contain the payload planner guide, with more technical details again on adapter, shroud etc.

I haven't read "Owner's manual" but it seems to be more focused on operations/design - I suppose this is closer to what you are looking for. Otherwise I wouldn't dismiss "Saturn" completely. For me that first section was interesting and detailed enough to understand this rocket quite a bit more.

Offline Oersted

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #12 on: 07/02/2017 09:33 pm »
Still on my reading list is David Woods' "Saturn V Owners' Workshop Manual" (see attached jpg for the table of contents).

Thanks for bringing this amazing book on the Saturn V to my attention: https://haynes.com/en-gb/nasa-saturn-v-owners-workshop-manual
- It is very well-written, concise, yet goes into great detail, and in a language everybody can understand. I am learning so many interesting facts about the Saturn V that I didn't know:

The kerosene used in the S-IC was called RP-1. And what does that abbreviation stand for? - surely something very technical? - Nope, it means.... wait for it...drumroll... "Rocket Propellant 1"! - So funny.

Also didn't know the explanation behind the particular look of the S-IC plume, i.e. the first metre or so of flame being very dark and laminar-looking almost. Well, turns out they directed the exhaust of the turbopump out through the inside of the lower half of the F-1 nozzle to protect it from the searing heat of the primary combustion.

And then the retro-rockets in the S-IC fins: they actually didn't bother to make an opening in the skin of the rocket for the rockets. They just blew a hole through the skin when they fired!

OK, better stop now. Truly great book, wonderfully illustrated.
« Last Edit: 07/02/2017 09:55 pm by Oersted »

Offline Star One

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #13 on: 08/20/2017 10:07 pm »
Still on my reading list is David Woods' "Saturn V Owners' Workshop Manual" (see attached jpg for the table of contents).

Thanks for bringing this amazing book on the Saturn V to my attention: https://haynes.com/en-gb/nasa-saturn-v-owners-workshop-manual
- It is very well-written, concise, yet goes into great detail, and in a language everybody can understand. I am learning so many interesting facts about the Saturn V that I didn't know:

The kerosene used in the S-IC was called RP-1. And what does that abbreviation stand for? - surely something very technical? - Nope, it means.... wait for it...drumroll... "Rocket Propellant 1"! - So funny.

Also didn't know the explanation behind the particular look of the S-IC plume, i.e. the first metre or so of flame being very dark and laminar-looking almost. Well, turns out they directed the exhaust of the turbopump out through the inside of the lower half of the F-1 nozzle to protect it from the searing heat of the primary combustion.

And then the retro-rockets in the S-IC fins: they actually didn't bother to make an opening in the skin of the rocket for the rockets. They just blew a hole through the skin when they fired!

OK, better stop now. Truly great book, wonderfully illustrated.

It's now only £6 on the Amazon store UK. Funnily enough I was just looking for a Saturn V book, so thanks for the review, after reading Apollo 8.

Offline Oersted

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #14 on: 08/21/2017 10:52 pm »
You're welcome, StarOne.

Offline Proponent

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #15 on: 08/22/2017 11:56 am »
The kerosene used in the S-IC was called RP-1. And what does that abbreviation stand for? - surely something very technical? - Nope, it means.... wait for it...drumroll... "Rocket Propellant 1"!

Does the book cite a source for that?  I'm a little skeptical, myself.  I would think it more likely comes from "rocket petroleum."  RP-1 was preceded by JP-1, JP-2, etc., which are jet fuels.  I think it unlikely that "JP" stands for "jet propellant," because the term "fuel" is much more common and more specific in this context.  RP-1 was developed for the Atlas.  JP-5 had earlier been the intended fuel, but the spec allowed too much variation.  There was even a time when Atlas was to have burned gasoline/petrol, because, I presume, of its wide availability.

Fun fact:  RP-2 exists as well -- see the attachment.

Offline Skylab

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #16 on: 08/29/2017 12:32 pm »
The kerosene used in the S-IC was called RP-1. And what does that abbreviation stand for? - surely something very technical? - Nope, it means.... wait for it...drumroll... "Rocket Propellant 1"!

Does the book cite a source for that?  I'm a little skeptical, myself.  I would think it more likely comes from "rocket petroleum." 
This document from NASA calls it rocket grade kerosene.

Offline Apollo-phill

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #17 on: 09/02/2017 07:31 pm »
UK  book seller The Works currently selling NASA Saturn V Owners Workshop Manual at GBP 6

Also.
, similar price for the O WM of ISS

Offline nicp

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Re: Book recommendation on Saturn V rocket
« Reply #18 on: 09/03/2017 10:13 am »
Thanks for the heads-up, got my copy.  :)
For Vectron!

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