Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: TITAN 4
Message-ID: <1989Jun21.165020.1506@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <4301.24986D0D@stjhmc.fidonet.org> <4127@druwy.ATT.COM> <1624@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu> <32548@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 89 16:50:20 GMT

In article <32548@apple.Apple.COM> leech@Apple.COM (Jonathan Patrick Leech) writes:
>    150K pounds of cargo vs. 250K pounds of 3rd stage, since Saturn
>was not designed for or used as a LEO cargo booster, with the sort-of
>exception of Skylab.

Used as, true.  Designed for?  The Saturn V was meant as a general-purpose
heavy launcher, not just as an Apollo booster, although Apollo's needs got
first priority for obvious reasons.  I've seen various numbers for LEO cargo
capacity, but 250K pounds *of cargo* is not unrealistic -- that thing was
*big*.  The final Saturn Vs launched over 100K pounds of cargo to *escape
velocity*.  Skylab weighed 100K+, I think, and it was launched by only
2/3 of a Saturn V.  (The second stage of that booster is the biggest object
ever to reenter from orbit, much bigger than Skylab itself.)
-- 
NASA is to spaceflight as the  |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
US government is to freedom.   | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu