RIP Saturn 1B

[dixiehack]

If you have driven I-65 south into Alabama from Nashville, you know what I’m talking about. The giant rocket ship that has towered over the state welcome center has deteriorated beyond repair (imagine that in a tax-averse state) and will have to be scrapped.

https://whnt.com/news/athens/space-and-rocket-center-provides-further-details-on-saturn-1-removal/

 

[User 1019]

I remember climbing all over that thing as a kid. Probably long overdue. It's been there as long as I can remember, and I'm 45.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

That design would make a cool water tower for some tiny Bama burg.

 

[Vombatus]

Just 3-D print a new one.

 

[Driftwood]

I've been through there a couple of times. It's a shame to let such an iconic symbol of the US that has a direct connection to your state go away.
Pay to fix it with Saban's lunch per diem.

 

[BTExpress]

Very underrated piece of hardware, as much of its work was unmanned. Only carried an Apollo crew once (Apollo 7) and later ferried three crews to Skylab.

 

[Neutral Corner]

Pay?

 

[maumann]

All of the original missiles that lined A1A at Patrick Air Force Base (I'm never going to get used to Space Force) all rusted out several decades ago and became too dangerous to display. Same with the Alan Shepard gantry. This is what it looked like back when I was a kid.

Sadly, they were made to be expendable, not artifacts. And ocean spray doesn't discriminate between trash and treasure if it's corrosive.

 

[exmediahack]

I assumed this was about a late-90s 4-four coupe.

 

[dixiehack]

I assumed this was about a late-90s 4-four coupe.

Nah, those were built 45 minutes up the road.

 

[OscarMadison]

Aw, man...

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Nah, those were built 45 minutes up the road.

If you were talking about building Tahoes, that would be just 15 minutes.

 

[tapintoamerica]

Very underrated piece of hardware, as much of its work was unmanned. Only carried an Apollo crew once (Apollo 7) and later ferried three crews to Skylab.

Wasn’t much of the early prep work in the space program done in Huntsville?

 

[BTExpress]

Tons of it. They even had "Wernher Von Braun Day" celebrations for America's favorite Nazi.

 

[dixiehack]

Tons of it. They even had "Wernher Von Braun Day" celebrations for America's favorite Nazi.

Civic Center is still named after him.

 

[BTExpress]

If you think you would never watch an 80-minute lecture on the Apollo Guidance Computer, all I can say is, this is worth your time if you have any interest in how this was done (while dispelling a couple of myths along the way).