Wernher von Braun and the Saturn V - photo

[Altair]

Colorized photograph of Dr. Wernher von Braun standing by the engines of his brainchild, the Saturn V super heavy-lift launch vehicle.




Previously:

Atlas rocket breaking the sound barrier - GIF
Rocket falls off of landing plane - GIF
NASA water deluge rocket launch system - GIF
Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) test flight - video

[Crusty]

I once went on a tour of NASA near Houston when they had a complete Saturn-V on pedestals outside the facility and it was truly huge. They later pulled it back inside, refurbed it and eventually lit it off and it was a memorable experience for me to walk around one when you still could. Got to touch a moon rock too on the same tour.

[Toolmaker51]

I'll just mention "Operation Paperclip" Bell X-1, North American X-15, SR-71, "October Sky" "Apollo 11" "Apollo 13" Space Shuttle.
Mr. von Braun didn't work alone, but difficult sorting out a more instrumental aerospace engineer.

[owen moore]

I got to see one up close. Also got to see the vehicle that carries the rocket out to the launch pad. I thought I was a big guy, but after I saw all that, I was a Lilliputian.

[jdurand]

Back in the day I was working on parts for the first shuttles I had a couple of interesting oppertunities. One was wearing one of the practice moon suits, those things are HEAVY on Earth! The other was getting my fingerprints on the Apollo used for the joint USA-Russian mission. Also got to stand under the rocket looking up into the engines WAY up there.

That and a later tour of the wind tunnel at Moffet Field, California really helps you understand "BIG".

[Toolmaker51]

Shuttles, me too.
Prototyped some of the infinite variety of insulation tiles, made lots of cargo arm latches, flight deck hardware, beryllium and 455 stainless copies of common [but noncorrosive] hand tools. Supposedly flycut frozen fur [yes fur] electronic insulation; but no matter what can't verify that was actual use...or material.
Sometimes better that we all not have all the details.
IYKWIM

[Paul Jones]

Toolmaker51, yes there are many "skeletons in the closet' from "Operation Paperclip". The book by Annie Jacobsen entitled "Operation Paperclip, The Secret Intelligence Program That Brought Nazi Scientists To America" reveals a lot about the scientists and engineers from Nazi backgrounds including Dr. von Braun. The overseas movement to the USA for these scientists and engineers after WWII was to keep them out of hands of the Soviets. Luckily von Braun died in 1977 before the secret Nazi affiliations information from Operation Paperclip was fully revealed to the USA public. We needed von Braun for his rocket superiority over the Soviets during the Cold War.
Regards, Paul