dimanche 2 décembre 2012

Saturn's fury

"The Saturn 5 was the largest rocket ever built by the United States. A true monster of a launch vehicle, it generated over 33 million newtons of thrust at liftoff and carried 2.5 million kilograms of fuel and oxidizer. If the Saturn 5 exploded, it could do so with the force of a small atomic bomb, the equivalent of half a kiloton, or about 1/26 the size of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. Naturally, this was a significant concern for Apollo program officials."
The Space Review: Saturn's fury: effects of a Saturn 5 launch pad explosion.

Heureusement aucune Saturn 5 n'a jamais explosé sur le pad de tir. J'ai vu la fusée (couchée dans un hangar) lorsque que j'ai visité le NASA Center à Houston, c'est un monstre, en effet.