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Moon Rocket Scrubbed and Blown Dry
loid_void writes "Reutersis is reporting that a giant Apollo moon rocket that never got off the ground is about to get a face-lift after years of rusting away in the Texas heat and humidity at the Johnson Space Center.
Workers will construct a shelter for the Saturn V rocket and give it the equivalent of a "blow dry" in the first steps to preserve the relic of NASA's golden age, said Allan Needell, Apollo program curator for the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.
The 363-foot-long behemoth has lain on its side in front of JSC since 1977, a favorite sight of tourists, but also a victim of the elements.
Instead of launching astronauts to the moon as it was built to do, it has become a slowly fading hulk of peeling paint and corroded metal where birds live and plants sprout, Needell said on Wednesday during a visit to the rocket.
"There's a lot of biology growing on there," he said, pointing out streaks of algae staining the rocket's white skin."
For all the people who fuss and complain about the money spent on actual space programs, this is a great example of the kind of wastefulness that goes on. And, now, rather than reuse or slag it, even more money will be spent to clean it up and display it. I'd rather see it broken apart, melted and recycled in more useful form than have a never-used moon rocket sitting in a museum.
I was taking one day at a time, but then several days got together and ambushed me. (from a Rhymes with Orange comic)
No because most people don't realize how massive of an accomplishment it was to get to the moon.
All of that rocket, fuel, and oxygen to carry the LM, and CSM, which are small in comparison.
I have to object to referring to the 1960's/70's as NASA's golden age. Surely, that should be regarded as NASA's infancy, and that NASA's golden age may be yet to come? Maybe it's too optimistic, but I'm a 25 year old astrophysics grad student, and I know how much is out there waiting to be explored and examined -- I don't want to have to live my life in the belief that my industry's best days were before I was born!
Although I've lived in the US for a few years now, I've never had the opportunity to go see some of this stuff. Seeing this thing cleaned up and in a permanent display will definitely be worth the price of admission.
It would be very un-cool.
I live in Houston and I've visited JSC a lot of times through the years. The Saturn V is in bad condition, and has been steadily getting worse. Something surely needs to be done.
And to those who have called it a waste of resources, I have only this to say. All the money in the world won't be of any use if we don't create another generation of engineers and scientists. I've personally seen the look in a kid's eyes when they get up close to something enormous and meaningful. You just can't buy that.
You say this because... why? There's almost as many (somewhat) complete Saturn V rockets as ships? So many that it's hard to come up with contructive uses for them, maybe?
What do you think happened to that money? They laminated $100 bills and used that for the skin?
No. A whole bunch of contractor companies were hired to design, build, and test parts of it. Companies that hired people. Thousands of skilled people. People that got paid a good salary for a good days work. People that supported tens of thousands of other people by buying food, clothes, cars, houses.
So it didn't get used. The budget and interest ran out. A shame, but not like the money was wasted.
What would you prefer we have done with that money? Collect taxes and merely give it away?
I've been to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and I've looked at the only unlaunched Saturn V. It's the biggest thing I've ever seen. Sure, I've also been to New York and seen the World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, et el., but people don't put billions of pounds of liquid oxygen inside of the Empire State Building, set it on fire, and fly to the moon with it.
Learn something new.
Am I the only one who sees this as a great pick up line? .]
[. .
Random gal: *SLAP*
This is why us geeks can't get chicks. Our definition of a "great" pickup line is the one that generates the hardest slap. :)
"Wow, you're like some kind of superhero able to ward off happiness and success at every turn."
-- Ryan Stiles
It made me sad, actually. Something kept telling me "this ship was supposed to go to the moon, and it's here because it didn't."
Call me sentimental, but she looked like a giant failure of human exploration to me.
+++ATH0
Corny as this may sound, bleak outlooks on the future, however "justified," tend to produce bleak futures. The inverse is also true.
As I've said in more than a few other space related threads, I became an engineer because of Apollo. Despite my mild depression, the space program has instilled in me a sense of optimism and purpose I just can't shake. As long as there are bright people with big dreams, we're in for greater days, I promise.
On a more personal note, if you're young, remember that your life is just beginning and, given enough hard work, courage, and luck, you might just help bring about the next golden age.
If you're older, and forgive me because I can't help but be rude here, please don't infect our youth with that nonsense. They need all the hope they can get.
About as cool as seeing how far it could be shoved up your ass without k-y.