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Could the Launch Holdbacks Prevent a Fully Throttled Up Saturn V From Liftoff?
At 1.1 million lbs of thrust after the launch weight of the Saturn V is subtracted, could the launch holdbacks actually prevent the Saturn V from lifting off with its engines fully throttled up? I've just been rather curious about this.
3 Answers
- QuadrillianLv 78 years agoFavorite Answer
That's one of the best questions I have seen on this site for ages.
The short answer is I don't know.
But I doubt if any practical holdback system could withstand 500 tons of rocket thrust pulling at it. If the holdbacks did not give way, some part of the rocket structure would be torn out instead.
I believe that the holdbacks on the space shuttle were designed to deliberately break when the shuttle reached full thrust in case the explosive bolts holding them in place failed to fire during liftoff.
I'm hoping someone knowledgeable can answer for sure so we can both find out.
Cheers!
- Innocent VictimLv 78 years ago
Evidently so. The Saturn did not lift off until they were released. The weight of the Saturns combined with the weight of the launch pad was, I am sure, far in excess of 1.1 million pounds.
