posted November 30, 2007 12:15 PM            

At KSC: Apollo Saturn V Center

At MSFC: Davidson Center for Space Exploration

They both seem to be purpose built buildings/museums for showcasing a 'real' unflown Saturn V laid out horizontally. Yes? Are they both 'enviromentally sealed' and is the hardware at each restored or 'as is/was'? Also the MSFC location apparently has a 'replica Saturn V' assembled vertically to look like a real one on the pad? Yes?

Wasn't there also a 'real' Saturn V laid out horizontally at either JSC or Michoud?

Can anyone speak/clarify about these places and their Saturn Vs?

posted November 30, 2007 12:56 PM               

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Scott Schneeweis

posted November 30, 2007 01:03 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Paul78zephyr:
Can anyone speak/clarify about these places and their Saturn Vs?

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• The Saturn V at Kennedy Space Center, which was previously displayed outside the Vehicle Assembly Building, was moved in 1995-1996 inside the Apollo Saturn V Center, part of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The building is environmentally controlled but not sealed. The Saturn V it displays is comprised of both flight and test hardware.

• The Saturn V at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, which was previously displayed outside in the museum's rocket park, was restored and then moved in 2007 inside the Davidson Center for Space Exploration, a new building under final construction now and set to open to the public on January 31, 2008. The building is environmentally controlled but not sealed. The Saturn V it displays is comprised entirely of test hardware, specifically the facilities checkout and demonstration stages. A full-scale replica Saturn V was erected vertically at the USSRC in 1999.

• The Saturn V at NASA's Johnson Space Center, which was previously displayed outside, was restored beginning in 2004, including the construction of an environmentally controlled building around it. The Saturn V Center opened to the public in 2007. It is the only Saturn V remaining that is assembled completely from flight hardware.

posted December 04, 2007 09:31 PM            

Thank you so much for your excellently informational reply! You gave the 'correct' answer to my 'wrong' question as I should not have use the term 'environmentally sealed'. Your [correct] use of the term 'environmentally controlled' (i.e. air-conditioned) was what I should have asked.

I'm am very glad to see that the remaining Saturn V hardware is now preserved for posterity. I hope I can travel to one of these centers in my lifetime and see that real Saturn V hardware.

Do you know of any online discussions here at cS (or elsewhere) about the Saturn V vs the future Ares V (i.e. technology, performance, etc)?

posted December 04, 2007 09:45 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Paul78zephyr:
Do you know of any online discussions here at cS (or elsewhere) about the Saturn V vs the future Ares V (i.e. technology, performance, etc)?

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posted December 05, 2007 08:52 AM            

If anyone is interested I found satellite pictures of all the Saturn V centers on Google Maps:

• KSC Saturn V Center
  
• JSC Saturn V Center
  
• USSRC/MSFC Huntsville (old pic - Saturn V not enclosed. Now enclosed in Davidson Center for Space Exploration. Vertically standing replica nearby.)
  
• Michoud (S-1C only) (Not a 'center' or - to my knowledge - on public display)