Re: Are Solid Boosters Safe?

Jonathan Silverlight wrote:
> In message <pan.2005.04.20.10.40.44.801425@xxxxxxxxx>, Craig Fink
> <WeBeGood@xxxxxxxxx> writes
> >
> >For the Saturn V, as it lifts off the pad, thrust = weight, and
every bit
> >of thrust is being lost to gravity. 100% gravity loss. It's only
when it
> >has burned off some fuel that it begins to accelerate, and gravity
losses
> >begin to decrease from 100%.
>
> But didn't Saturn V pull the hold-down fixtures through dies,
> specifically to reduce the initial acceleration?
>

There's no mention of that in the NASA history description at:
"http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4204/ch13-4.html";
The figure shows the design to be a three-link lever arm. The
lever arm "collapsed" inward when an explosive release fired at
the center/bottom link pivot. When the link pivoted, the hold-
down arm pivoted away from the Saturn. There was also something
called a "pneumatic separator" at the same location that seems
likely to have been meant to rapidly buckle the pivot joint
inward.

There were four of these hold-down arms, plus two tail service
masts. Each arm produced 350 metric tons of downward force on
the launch vehicle until released. Slow-motion video of
Saturn V launches shows the arms rapidly pivoting back. The
move seems quick even in slow motion!

- Ed Kyle

.

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