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[i]The most fascinating pad-release mechanism I ever heard of was for the Saturn V. After the explosive bolts were blown and after the hold-down arms released the vehicle, the Saturn V still had one more process to go through. Huge soft-iron rivet-head bolts were attached to the rocket and through slots in the launcher which were smaller than the bolt heads. As the vehicle lifted off, these bolts were pulled through the slots and the soft iron was literally pulled through the slots, deforming like thick taffy as they pulled through. This attenuated vibrational shocks and especially any tendency for the rocket to lift off in very short, rhythmic "spurts" which could shake the whole stack dangerously. So, the final contact between a Saturn V and the ground was four huge soft-iron bolts that were forced to extrude through slots in the launcher.[/i]
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