Author Topic: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center  (Read 6955 times)

Offline spacecane

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I've always wondered why they created a situation that required bus tours to go see the Saturn V Center.  Was it built before the Visitor Center or was there some technical reason that they couldn't move the Saturn V to the Visitor Center area?

I'm pretty sure the Atlantis display building is being built at the visitor center.

Offline Jim

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #1 on: 08/16/2011 04:38 pm »
I've always wondered why they created a situation that required bus tours to go see the Saturn V Center.  Was it built before the Visitor Center or was there some technical reason that they couldn't move the Saturn V to the Visitor Center area?


I bet the S-IC couldn't make it there via road.

Offline kevin-rf

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #2 on: 08/16/2011 05:52 pm »
I bet the S-IC couldn't make it there via road.

You mean the ramp between Nasa Pkwy and Kennedy Pkwy? I've always thought the separate building was a bit odd.
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Offline spacecane

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #3 on: 08/17/2011 02:44 am »
I've always wondered why they created a situation that required bus tours to go see the Saturn V Center.  Was it built before the Visitor Center or was there some technical reason that they couldn't move the Saturn V to the Visitor Center area?


I bet the S-IC couldn't make it there via road.

How did they get the SRB Casings and Shuttle ET over there?  I would think there would have been some way using multiple cranes to get down the road with the S-IC.

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #4 on: 08/17/2011 03:00 am »
I've always wondered why they created a situation that required bus tours to go see the Saturn V Center.  Was it built before the Visitor Center or was there some technical reason that they couldn't move the Saturn V to the Visitor Center area?


I bet the S-IC couldn't make it there via road.

How did they get the SRB Casings and Shuttle ET over there?  I would think there would have been some way using multiple cranes to get down the road with the S-IC.

They are not real......

Offline racshot65

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #5 on: 08/17/2011 09:57 am »
I've always wondered why they created a situation that required bus tours to go see the Saturn V Center.  Was it built before the Visitor Center or was there some technical reason that they couldn't move the Saturn V to the Visitor Center area?


I bet the S-IC couldn't make it there via road.

How did they get the SRB Casings and Shuttle ET over there?  I would think there would have been some way using multiple cranes to get down the road with the S-IC.

They are not real......

One of the bus drivers on the tour said that the SRB casings were old flight hardware ?

Offline MATTBLAK

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #6 on: 08/17/2011 10:24 am »
As I understand it: the S1-C as well as being so large, weighs about 130 tons (dry). So moving this all the way up to the KSC Visitor's Center would have been a very difficult and specialised task. Also, there is at least one overpass/bridge on the way before State Road 3 and the turnoff that heads on the Parkway towards the KSC Visitor's Center and the Astronaut Hall Of Fame. That overpass would have to be dismantled to let the S-1C past on its trailer, let alone the S-2 and SIV-B stages, too.

Also, the big moveable bridge over the sea on the way to Titusville etc probably couldn't stand the weight of a transported S-1C.
« Last Edit: 08/17/2011 10:25 am by MATTBLAK »
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Offline kevin-rf

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #7 on: 08/17/2011 01:18 pm »
I believe the ET is also real, one of the earlier standard weight tanks. Memory may be playing tricks on me, but I believe there is a plaque somewhere next to it that says as much.
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Offline Jim

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #8 on: 08/17/2011 01:22 pm »

How did they get the SRB Casings and Shuttle ET over there?  I would think there would have been some way using multiple cranes to get down the road with the S-IC.

They aren't as big as the S-IC.

How would cranes help? 

Anyways, never said it was impossible. 

People don't understand that $$ is the the greatest impediment and not physics or physical obstructions.
« Last Edit: 08/17/2011 01:47 pm by Jim »

Offline alk3997

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #9 on: 08/17/2011 01:48 pm »

They are not real......

That is not true - well, may be not true depending upon your definition of "real". 

The tank at the visitors center was originally at Stennis Space Center (SSC) and transferred to KSC around 2000.  The reference is here:
http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps123260/ig-00-044.pdf

The tank was used for early Shuttle testing at Stennis and then became an exhibit at Stennis.  It was originally white and was painted brown after transfer to the KSC visitors center so that everyone wouldn't ask, "why is that tank the wrong color?"

The SRB casings are actually filament wound booster casings (inert, of course) that were to be used as pathfinders for the SRBs to be used at Vandenberg.  They, too, were painted to match the real deals.  They were originally black.  Please note that I didn't say they were to be used at Vandenberg, just that they were pathfinders for creating the SRBs that were to be used at Vandenberg.

It's expensive to build mock-ups that size and that are structurally sound.  So, the KSC visitors center searched for what was available instead of having to build it themselves.  They already had to pay for the building of the orbiter mock-up (the orbiter mock-up I agree is not real).

So, you tell me, should we consider these two (ET and SRB) test articles to be real?
« Last Edit: 08/17/2011 01:52 pm by alk3997 »

Offline Jim

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #10 on: 08/17/2011 01:50 pm »

The SRB casings are actually filament wound booster casings (inert, of course) that were to be used as pathfinders at Vandenberg.  They, too, were painted to match the real deals.


Those are the ones at USSRC, not KSC.
« Last Edit: 08/17/2011 01:56 pm by Jim »

Offline Rocket Science

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #11 on: 08/17/2011 02:04 pm »
If you look closely at the ones in Alabama, you can actually see the filament strands on the SRB’s.
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Offline alk3997

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #12 on: 08/17/2011 02:22 pm »

The SRB casings are actually filament wound booster casings (inert, of course) that were to be used as pathfinders at Vandenberg.  They, too, were painted to match the real deals.


Those are the ones at USSRC, not KSC.

Here's one of my photos of the tank before it got painted (I believe the date on the photo is accurate).  This is in the back of the visitors center parking lot.

OK, Rookie, my memory is that those SRBs had black segments with steel segments as well (kind of a mutt).  If those aren't filament wound segments, what are they?  Or did they just create black fill-in segments and then used inert steel casings?

Andy
« Last Edit: 08/17/2011 02:24 pm by alk3997 »

Offline Jim

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #13 on: 08/17/2011 02:28 pm »

The SRB casings are actually filament wound booster casings (inert, of course) that were to be used as pathfinders at Vandenberg.  They, too, were painted to match the real deals.


Those are the ones at USSRC, not KSC.

Here's one of my photos of the tank before it got painted (I believe the date on the photo is accurate).  This is in the back of the visitors center parking lot.

OK, Rookie, my memory is that those SRBs had black segments with steel segments as well (kind of a mutt).  If those aren't filament would segments, what are they?  Or did they just create black fill-in segments and then used inert steel casings?


Noobie,

I said nothing about the ones at KSC.  Only that the FWC SRB's at USSRC were the ones used for pathfinder activities at VAFB.

BTW, I don't call doing the same thing over and over on the same vehicle as experience, I call that being stuck in a rut.
« Last Edit: 08/17/2011 02:46 pm by Jim »

Offline alk3997

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #14 on: 08/17/2011 02:41 pm »
Fair enough Rookie, yes, the full segments are at USSRC (MSFC).  I'm still going through the 1996 photos but I'm probably going to have to table that until after work today and USA's get together for former employees tonight.  I just want to confirm that I remembered that the SRBs out there had both white and black segments.

Noob
« Last Edit: 08/17/2011 02:42 pm by alk3997 »

Offline Art LeBrun

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #15 on: 08/17/2011 11:35 pm »
This is getting good. I have my popcorn and drink ready for the show ;D
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Offline 00rs250

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #16 on: 08/18/2011 02:07 am »
I remember the days where you could walk right in to the visitor center for free, see most of the exhibits but had to pay to see the movies and do the tours.  This is how I remember them making their money back in the day so I can see how this would be a reason.  Ah, the days I’d ride my motorcycle and practically park right up to the front door and walk in.
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Offline Blackstar

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #17 on: 08/18/2011 12:06 pm »
I remember the days where you could walk right in to the visitor center for free, see most of the exhibits but had to pay to see the movies and do the tours.  This is how I remember them making their money back in the day so I can see how this would be a reason.  Ah, the days I’d ride my motorcycle and practically park right up to the front door and walk in.

When Delaware North took over the visitor's center it led to some complaints from people who objected to being charged for access to things that used to be free. Although they had a point, DN clearly improved the entire experience substantially.

That said, when I visited there in July I was struck by how obsolete many of the displays were--not through the company's fault, but due to changes in the US space program. There were many displays about shuttle and Constellation, both of which are now defunct. The company will have to make a lot of changes there. At the very least they'll have to change a lot of signs to refer to things in the past tense.

Online edkyle99

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Re: Why was Saturn V Display put far from Visitor Center
« Reply #18 on: 08/18/2011 03:12 pm »
When Delaware North took over the visitor's center it led to some complaints from people who objected to being charged for access to things that used to be free. Although they had a point, DN clearly improved the entire experience substantially.

That said, when I visited there in July I was struck by how obsolete many of the displays were--not through the company's fault, but due to changes in the US space program. There were many displays about shuttle and Constellation, both of which are now defunct. The company will have to make a lot of changes there. At the very least they'll have to change a lot of signs to refer to things in the past tense.

If you want to see really outdated, even irrelevant displays, stop by the Wallops Island visitor's center sometime.  There's a couple of worthwhile items there - the short film of a suborbital launch is the best part - but much of the rest is just sad in a faded 1975-ish kind of way.  There is, for example, a model of the Orbiting Frog Otolith (Wallop's finest moment?) with a sign that tells you it is a model of the Orbiting Frog Otolith - and that's it.  No mention of the brave "flight frogs" who orbited our planet in 1970!  Also, not a mention of Taurus II/Cygnus.  There is a Minotaur I model, but I'm not sure that it was labeled to explain what it was.  There is a nice Little Joe on display outside, but it is parked behind the building, accessible through a door that locks so that if you go out to see the display you can't go back inside!  There are other spots where rockets used to be displayed, but now nothing but concrete and stray grass resides.  Etc...

But hey, it's free!

 - Ed Kyle   
« Last Edit: 08/18/2011 04:07 pm by edkyle99 »

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