What aren't saturn v moon rockets flown into space anymore?

Answer 1

Apparently they aren't compatible with the current payloads, or more probably, the current rockets are more efficient (more thrust to the volume of propellent).

Answer 2

The Saturn Vs were replaced by the Space Shuttle. The Saturn V was 70 stories tall (363 ft.) and the only thing that was left after the mission was the relatively small command module which splashed down in the ocean and not reused. Only 20 were built. One of them has been recently restored at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. It had been lying on it's side for tourists to see since the 1970s. A lot of the insiders at NASA used to call it "the 400 million dollar lawn ornament"because they saw it as such a waste to use it in this way. The Space Shuttle turned out to be more expensive to operate than the Saturn V.
That particular vehicle would have been Apollo 18 and if the mission had not been canceled Fred Haise of Apollo 13 fame would have been the commander. There is another restored example at the Kennedy Space Center and a first stage is preserved at the Lockheed Martin Michot Assembly facility in New Orleans where all the Saturn Vs were built and the E.T. (external tank) are built today. No Saturn V ever failed while carrying a live crew.

Answer 3

During the Apollo era, these rockets went for more than 250 million bucks a copy. Today adjusted for inflation they'd cost even more than the hugely expensive Titan-IV's which are no longer being made either, let alone a flight aboard the Space Shuttle. Their high cost is one factor, but the main reason is the equipment needed to build them was destroyed long ago, and there are no longer any launch facilites for them too. So the two Saturn V's that are now on display at Houston TX and Huntsville AL are the last of their kind. These rockets were built for one purpose in mind, getting men to the moon and returning them safely to the Earth, and within three hours of lift off, their missions were finished. Other rockets were either converted nuclear missiles or designed for the bread and butter of space, launching satellites for goverment, commerical or military customers. The new Ares-1 and Ares-V rockets that are being developed right now will take the roles the Saturn 1's and Saturn V's did in the 60's and 70's. Ironically, some of their systems are in fact descendents from the Saturn V.

Answer 4

Contrary to one answer, the Saturn V most certainly was NOT a missile converted for space use. It was always, from the very beginning, designed and built with the intention of using it to send manned missions to the Moon. It was a superb piece of machinery, and not one ever failed during flight.

The fact that it was so good was partially responsible for its downfall after Apollo. When NASA was given the mandate to develop the reusable space shuttle they found themselves facing a problem with contractors. Contrary to popular misconception, NASA does not build its own hardware. They employ other companies to build it for them. The Saturn V, for instance, was built by, among others, Boeing (the first stage), North American Aviation (the second stage) Douglas Aircraft Company (third stage) and IBM (instrument unit). It was a highly effective launch vehicle for heavy payloads. The shuttle was also to be a highly effective launch vehicle for heavy payloads, which meant that the shuttle would have been in direct competition with the Saturn V for certain mission types. Not many contractors, NASA thought, would be willing to take on the job of building the shuttle knowing that NASA already had a very good launch vehicle for large payloads. To get around this, NASA cancelled the Saturn V, and when that happened the companies that built the various components dismantled the specialised tooling they had for making Saturn V components. Once that happened the ability to make Saturn V rockets was lost, virtually irreplacably.

If you wonder why the tooling was dismantled, it was simply too big to store. The first stage forward bulkhead, for example, is a dome ten metres across and roughly three metres high made out of a number of specially shaped panels welded together. To make it required a welding jig setup even bigger than that. Unless Boeing wanted to make some other component that was a dome ten metres across and three metres high made out of welded metal plates, that jig was no use to them, and it took up a lot of space. If they were never going to be making the Saturn V first stage, they understandably did not want their factory floor occupied by useless machinery, hence they dismantled it. The same thing happened to the launch facilities.

Nowadays we just could not resurrect the Saturn V without a huge amount of money, and even then it is a forty year old rocket. Technology has improved. As good as the Saturn V was, we could make better rockets now.

Answer 5

It is not true that many supersonic planes have reached altitudes that could be considered space. The lowest altitude considered space is 100 kilometers, and only a couple rocket powered planes have gone so high. The X-15 and SpaceShipOne. But it is not enough to go high, because with no air there is nothing to hold the planes up. Jet engines need air to run, so only a rocket works in the vacuum of space. Also wings need air to make lift. So the rocket planes just head almost straight up using pure rocket power, but a rocket engine uses up fuel so fast that in just a few minutes it runs out and then the plane falls back into theatmosphere, where it uses its wings to glide in the air to a landing. To stay in space above the atmosphere you need to speed up to orbital speed, which is 17,500 miles per hour. That is at least 5 times faster that the fastest supersonic plane. At that speed centrifugal force of the vehicle going around the round Earth equals gravity, but pushing up instead of down. And in the airless vacuum of space there is no drag or friction so the vehicle can coast without power for years.

Answer 6

The Saturn V was a very poorly designed and inefficient rocket. It actually isn't a rocket at all. It was a missile converted for space exploration use.

there are many one time use rockets that out preform the Saturn series available today.

Answer 7

Similar reason to why don't they still manufacture 1960's cars to sell today.

Answer 8

Why don't you still drive a 1930's motor car?
It is call progress!

Answer 9

They never were.