Re: Saturn V

Orval Fairbairn wrote:

Chrysler didn't build the Saturn V

SERV. Developed during the Shuttle B-prime "upselect" when NASA thought
it might be studying the spaceplane idea too hard and wanted some more
radical options. Of course, they didn't like the result when they got
back exactly that.

SERV was an SSTO, and although it seemed highly suspect given airframe
weights of the era, it would be well within our current state of the
art using composites and al/li tanks. Looked like a really big Apollo
capsule with a cargo area running along the center spine. It had
limited cross-range, enough for a once-around abort to Kennedy, but
that was not an issue when it was being developed (only later, when the
Air Force got involved). All-aspect abort, could fly unmanned, put the
crew (if needed) in a separate unpowered spaceplane (with abort
rockets), etc.

Rather workmanlike and practical design. Can't have that, can we? I'm
guessing the "optional" crew likely gave grumblies in a few stomachs
too...

Maury

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