posted 06-15-2019 02:24 PM               

The blast deflectors consisted of a thick steel base plate that had been covered with the strong heat resistant WA-1G material. During such a launch, a 42'-high flame deflector was subjected to a water deluge that dampened acoustic vibrations and high temperatures of possibly 2,000 degrees F.

But the FF-material, Chuck, at times did not always meet its requirements due to continued erosion concerns after many launches.

The current installed flame deflector at Pad 39B is an improvement from the earlier blast deflectors, though. There are about 150 thick steel cladding plates, on both sides of the blast structure, that can better withstand a rocket's thrust plume and can be repaired and replaced more easier than beforehand.

posted 06-16-2019 03:10 PM               

Next time we see each other, Chuck, I'll give you a complimentary used flame deflector souvenir from July 28, 1971, just two days after the launch of AS-510 (Apollo 15).

One of my favorite souvenirs from a Pad 39 launch of a Saturn would be used launch pad wind instrumentation devices that had been affixed to the LUT/ML, of which, there were only three units attached for every launch event.

One, on display in my new office, is about 6" long that contains three circular hard plastic "cup-like" devices. As a Saturn V rocket ignites and begins to rise up from its mobile launcher, the exhaust plume of the five mighty F-1 engines would pass right by the wind measurement devices. This one came off ML-3 in April 1972 right after the Apollo 16 lunar launch.

With less than 50 feet or so from a near-by moving in-flight Saturn V, the "cups" of the wind devices would be misfigured and/or bent out of shape. The end result would be an actual object that had been effected by a Saturn V launch vehicle liftoff!

Perhaps other unusual souvenirs after a giant Saturn V launch would actually involve coinage (yes, you heard me correctly)!

Before a Saturn V launch, some of the space center workers with access to Complex 39 would insert or locate U.S. coins at the base of the 450'-long flame trench area.