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  Spacecraft allocated for Apollo Applications

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Author Topic:   Spacecraft allocated for Apollo Applications
Jim_Voce
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Posts: 273
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Registered: Jul 2016

posted 11-11-2018 10:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim_Voce   Click Here to Email Jim_Voce     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The Apollo Applications Program (AAP) when it was conceived in 1965 (and subsequently narrowed to an Earth orbiting program) was suppose to use hardware from the Apollo lunar program. Hence the left over Saturn IBs would be used.

One of the Saturn IV-B stages on a Saturn IB would be the "wet workshop" concept and the Apollo Telescope Mount flight was to have an Apollo command module dock with a lunar module (LM) ascent stage with the LM descent stage replaced with the telescope mount.

There were plenty of Saturn IBs left over from the program to use for AAP. But I don't believe there would have been any "spare" CSMs or LMs. All the CSM and LMs that were built were already scheduled up to the Apollo 20 mission. Were there any left over beyond that?

If not, then the AAP have required the production and building of new CSMs and LMs (LM ascent stages). Or was there an actual surplus?

There were of course the Apollo 18 to 20 CSMs that became available after the cancellation of those flights. But I am not sure if any of the those spacecraft were transferred and used on AAP (since renamed Skylab) in 1973.

Jim_Voce
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posted 11-12-2018 04:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim_Voce   Click Here to Email Jim_Voce     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I would like to simplify my posting above by summarizing it as follows:

There were 15 Saturn V launch vehicles that were purchased by NASA.

What was the total number of CSMs and LMs purchased?

oly
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From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015

posted 11-12-2018 04:43 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for oly   Click Here to Email oly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Start here for information about how the Apollo contract came about, or here for more specifics.

Jim Behling
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From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010

posted 11-12-2018 12:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim Behling   Click Here to Email Jim Behling     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
From SP-4011 Skylab: A Chronology, February 26, 1969:
NASA announced it would negotiate with North American Rockwell for modifications to four Apollo spacecraft for AAP.

Letter, George E. Mueller, NASA Hq, to Robert R. Gilruth, MSC, 26 February 1969.

Also see Wikipedia: CSMs produced.

All times are CT (US)

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