General Question Saturn V rocket questions

[jedimaster1214]

Curious question of mine, once staging is done, is the S-IC first stage or S-II second stage left to sink in the ocean, or is there a recovery team that brings them back?

 

[garyw]

No recovery for Saturn stages, no point as they couldn't be resued. There was a plan to build a large helicopter to capture the stage in mid air but it never got any futher than the drawing board.

You can read about it here -> http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1045/1

 

[agentgonzo]

No recovery for Saturn stages, no point as they couldn't be resued. There was a plan to build a large helicopter to capture the stage in mid air but it never got any futher than the drawing board.

You can read about it here -> http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1045/1

OK, that's quite possibly the most mental proposal that I've heard.

 

[Andy44]

I think I recall reading about one of the Saturn I-B first stages being recovered once when a ship chanced upon its hulk. I seem to remember a photo of a wrecked rocket stage being towed on a barge. Might have been a different rocket. My google-fu is failing.

 

[Artlav]

OK, that's quite possibly the most mental proposal that I've heard.

Those were the days. People knew how to dream big.

 

[Spicer]

I'd love to see the heli that would catch an S-1c stage!

 

[Andy44]

Yeah, would look like a seagull trying to catch a bowling ball. Ka-splash!

 

[Lucy]

So there are, in theory, a few dead stages at the bottom of our ocean? Seems a bit... pollutant...

 

[Ghostrider]

It's mostly metal and stuff, the sea knows how to make good use of them as habitat for fishes and other stuff that looks at you funny when you go for a swim.

 

[Sky Captain]

No recovery for Saturn stages, no point as they couldn't be resued. There was a plan to build a large helicopter to capture the stage in mid air but it never got any futher than the drawing board.

You can read about it here -> http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1045/1

This is actually interesting idea for Orbiter addon. Imagine you have to fly a Monster Chopper downrange to likely impact point of first stage then launch Saturn V and fine tune it`s trajectory so the first stage falls as close as possible to Monster Chopper. When first stage burns out and descends onder it`s chutes you catch it with Monster Chopper and bring back to Cape or lower on barge waiting in ocean.