The Saturn V's Direction Problem

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  • Опубликовано: 28 май 2024
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    Have you ever wondered about the guidance systems onboard rockets like the Saturn V that took the Apollo 11 astronauts to the moon? How about how these guidance systems influence their trajectory? In this video about the incredible alignment of the Saturn V, I’m going to take a deeper look at the Saturn 5’s guidance system, and show you how a hidden bunker below the launch pad helped to keep it pointing in the right direction.
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    Thanks for watching this Primal Space video. If you enjoyed it, let me know in the comments below and don't forget to subscribe so you can see more videos like this!
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    Short on time? Feel free to skip ahead in this video using the chapter links below.
    00:00 Saturn V Guidance Problem
    00:54 How Did Saturn V Navigate?
    02:32 How a Gyroscope Guides a Rocket
    04:11 Resetting the Saturn V Gyroscopes
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    References:
    primalnebula.com/the-saturn-v...
    Written and edited by Ewan Cunningham ( / ewan_cee )
    Narrated by: Beau Stucki (www.beaustucki.com/)
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    #Nasa #SaturnV #Apollo11
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Комментарии • 1,6 тыс.

  • @primalspace
    @primalspace  Год назад +115

    Did you guys know about the bunker below the pad? - shoutout to World of Tanks for making this video possible! Check it out here: tanks.ly/3Dfl3Id
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    • @antondavydov8139
      @antondavydov8139 Год назад +2

      What is the reason the Starship doesn't have a launch escape system?

    • @10thmountainsoldier90
      @10thmountainsoldier90 Год назад +1

      Love your videos and your narration voice!

    • @Roofluffer
      @Roofluffer Год назад +3

      im sorry what... another ad? in the comments... wow really pushing a game ill never play thanks to the incessant ads

    • @carkawalakhatulistiwa
      @carkawalakhatulistiwa Год назад

      Is just mecanical computers

    • @dougsmyth8582
      @dougsmyth8582 Год назад

      I'm curious now if modern day GPS does away with all of this for current rockets, or are gyros still required for the launch phase.
      I have a feeling gyro's are still required in space to keep tabs of orientation.

  • @KriegZombie
    @KriegZombie Год назад +3591

    I was told that the missile always knows where it is because it knows where it isn't.

    • @The-Real-Laepi
      @The-Real-Laepi Год назад +384

      By subtracting where it is from where it isn’t or where it isn’t from where it is, whichever is greater, the guidance computer acquires a difference or deviation.

    • @Xavier1...
      @Xavier1... Год назад +78

      I came here just to comment on this. I guess i was beaten to it

    • @HarshitSingh-mm4ks
      @HarshitSingh-mm4ks Год назад +16

      ​@@Xavier1... r/beatmetoit

    • @degenetron7590
      @degenetron7590 Год назад +34

      Saturn v is a glorified missile

    • @yos3234
      @yos3234 Год назад +1

      Fr

  • @timbotron4000
    @timbotron4000 Год назад +1778

    It's absolutely incredible that the Saturn V went from paper design to flight in just six years. Such small but crucial details like this are mind-blowing

    • @Nghilifa
      @Nghilifa Год назад +135

      And to add to that, they launched 5 of them within the span of a year from Dec 1968 to Nov 1969 (Apollo 8,9,10,11,12). Just imagine the VAB with 3 Saturn V's stacked at the same time (It could hold 3 at any given time, so Apollo 8,9 & 10 must have been stacked to various degrees of completion at the same time)!
      We're not going to see that kind of operational tempo again in our lifetimes.

    • @tvre0
      @tvre0 Год назад +39

      I think the VAB can and could hold four. It’s just that we never needed that launch cadence. Fun fact: if we did, they could have expanded the building since it was built to be expanded. That’s why the crawlerways loop so far around the building

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +68

      Agreed. It really is incredible to think about.

    • @goldenfloof5469
      @goldenfloof5469 Год назад +26

      @@Nghilifa Well starship is almost 4 years into its development and actually has a realistic chance of launching for the first time next month. And if they manage to get it to a turn around time even remotely comparable to falcon 9, then it's gonna blow the Saturn V out of the water in terms of launches per year.
      Heck, they're working an a large number of them at the same time, like 5 or 6, and they can produce them so fast that they've scrapped like 5 orbit capable rockets. Just because, for a time, they were advancing the design so fast that they were becoming outdated so early on in the building and testing cycle that it wasn't worth putting more effort into them.

    • @nirbhayatiwari5425
      @nirbhayatiwari5425 Год назад +28

      @@goldenfloof5469 Correct brother ...
      Also by utilizing just ~50% capacity of B7 33 Raptors they produced more thrust (7.9 million pounds) than the full thrust produced by Saturn V on liftoff (7.8 million pounds only oncefor Skylab and 7.5 million pounds of thrust for Apollo Missions ) ....
      But Yes we all know that Starship will surely be a better rocket than Saturn V but considering the condition and technologies of 60's I believe for 100% that Saturn V was and will be a masterpiece machinery ever built by humans ....

  • @devindykstra
    @devindykstra Год назад +700

    The 3d animation in this one is absolutely on point! Great job!

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +37

      Thank you so much! Really glad that you enjoyed it!

    • @tvre0
      @tvre0 Год назад +7

      @@primalspace Can you do more on Saturn v guidance?

    • @jonslg240
      @jonslg240 Год назад

      When your rocket is on the earth and pointing straight up, that doesn't change as the earth rotates..
      It's still straight up vs the earths center of mass..
      *So this guy is kinda selling us a "bill of goods" when he says "as the earth rotates the rocket is no longer pointing straight up.*
      It might not be pointing at your target anymore, but if it's pointing straight up vs the field of gravity, then it's always pointing straight up and earths rotation does not change that.

    • @jonslg240
      @jonslg240 Год назад

      The further I watch this video the more I realise this channel must be a "space for dummies" channel..
      ..a channel for people who've never watched the more advanced channels.
      Nothing wrong with that, just don't oversell it

    • @devindykstra
      @devindykstra Год назад +6

      @@jonslg240 what's so bad with that? If he's able to simplify these really advanced topics into a simple video for "dummies" isn't that a good thing?
      Also a rocket's reference frame does change as the earth rotates, and that obviously needs to be corrected for. To my knowledge everything in the video is accurate.

  • @paulhsv1121
    @paulhsv1121 Год назад +442

    My Dad was part of the team that designed that gyro. He also had a patent to the gyro mounted on the lunar rover. I bragged to my sons one time that I had my fingerprints in space. I work in aerospace industry. He immediately replied, “I have my fingerprints on the moon.” Check mate. 😂

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +55

      That's amazing! Now I want to read about the Lunar rover's gyro. Is your Dad still with us? He must have been very proud of what he did for the Apollo program.

    • @paulhsv1121
      @paulhsv1121 Год назад +37

      @@primalspace unfortunately he passed recently.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +47

      Sorry to hear that.

    • @bobdrummond6540
      @bobdrummond6540 Год назад +18

      Small world... my dad was the lead engineer of that team.

    • @BabbyCat3008
      @BabbyCat3008 Год назад +7

      My dad was the assistant programmer on the team.

  • @Nova-pr5cw
    @Nova-pr5cw Год назад +325

    Crazy I can think of millions of things which can go wrong in such a delicate system, this stuff worked is a miracle on its own kudos to engineers and everyone who were involved in building this

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +33

      Agreed. It's pretty mind blowing to think about just how precise they needed to be. It was a lot of fun to learn about for me as well.

    • @AFuller2020
      @AFuller2020 Год назад +2

      When you have good engineering and process, it all works… now compare that to SpacSex.

    • @subjekt5577
      @subjekt5577 Год назад +6

      Yup. Largest successful rocket ever, that absurd amount of shaking and vibration, enough decibels to suffocate you from the impact force, and this little fucking gyro stays stable enough through all that while remaining precise

    • @lajoswinkler
      @lajoswinkler 5 месяцев назад +1

      On the contrary, it wasn't delicate. It was robust. It needed to be robust.

    • @robrussell5329
      @robrussell5329 5 месяцев назад

      You can think of millions of things that can go wrong??? You must be a pretty awesome engineer!!

  • @ob0273
    @ob0273 Год назад +381

    I am speechless. The Saturn V was so incredible piece of engineering. Imagine having this gyro mechanism on a rocket today - that's absolutely unthinkable 🤯

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +87

      Agreed. I still marvel at how these kinds of problems are even identified ... let alone solved. Pretty incredible.

    • @noop9k
      @noop9k Год назад +23

      Today you can just use GPS while on earth and have some cameras to detect sun and stars.

    • @goldenfloof5469
      @goldenfloof5469 Год назад +13

      @@noop9k You could just use GPS for the entire flight.

    • @sheeplord4976
      @sheeplord4976 Год назад +27

      Almost every jet on earth has a modern version if this system, but they use lasers instead of gyros now.

    • @HailAnts
      @HailAnts Год назад +28

      @@goldenfloof5469 - You couldn't use GPS for a trip to the Moon. After TLI the ship would eventually exceed the limits of the range of GPS transmitters on the satellites orbiting the Earth.

  • @VintageAviation737
    @VintageAviation737 Год назад +97

    in my opinion I think that the Saturn V / CSM/ LM were the best vehicles ever designed. All of their issues were solved so cleverly using 60s era technology. Really goes to show what a special team NASA had during the Apollo era.

    • @dannypipewrench533
      @dannypipewrench533 Год назад +6

      I agree completely. The Saturn V may be surpassed in capability (not yet but soon), but nothing will ever beat in the fact that it worked so well despite having been developed with such earlier methods. Yeah, we can use all sorts of great computer simulations now to almost guarantee the thing will work before it ever flies, but the Saturn V worked without such advantages.

    • @iPodGuyDK
      @iPodGuyDK Год назад +5

      @@dannypipewrench533 Honestly, the Saturn V was so ahead of its time.

    • @dannypipewrench533
      @dannypipewrench533 Год назад +1

      @@iPodGuyDK Indeed it was.

    • @josephkanowitz6875
      @josephkanowitz6875 5 месяцев назад +1

      ב''ה, דייו האמת, may He comfort the survivors - except for that problem with the first revision of the manned portion.

    • @Bertinator-nm9ld
      @Bertinator-nm9ld 4 месяца назад

      The Apollo team also had LOTS of money to work with. That's something critical that NASA doesn't have now.

  • @anirprasadd
    @anirprasadd Год назад +38

    Most people don't realize that the Saturn V was the epitome of human engineering at the time. The sheer number of innovations and breakthroughs, along with solving the engineering challenges involved makes it mind-boggling.

    • @evanfinch4987
      @evanfinch4987 Месяц назад +1

      "most people dont realize" yeah ok

    • @anirprasadd
      @anirprasadd Месяц назад

      ​@@evanfinch4987Yes, actually. A lot of them don't.

    • @robinwilliamsdouble5009
      @robinwilliamsdouble5009 Месяц назад +1

      American Ingenuity my friend, American ingenuity ! !

    • @ejzeiberg
      @ejzeiberg 2 дня назад

      @@robinwilliamsdouble5009 i have bad news for you regarding who designed the Saturn V my guy

    • @robinwilliamsdouble5009
      @robinwilliamsdouble5009 День назад +1

      @ejzeiberg ... the US government was uncomfortable with so many Germans in the rocket design program. Many Americans were brought in to help design rockets, write software, design the lunar module, provide parts, etc. for NASA. In fact, over 400,000 people worked for NASA alone. This is not counting the American companies like Rockwell, General Motors, IBM, The Grumman corporation, Lockheed Martin, Goodyear, etc.
      Like I said, American ingenuity

  • @mikefochtman7164
    @mikefochtman7164 Год назад +21

    I worked with navigational gyrocompasses for the Navy at one point. They used a similar 'followup' system to sense the minute changes in gyro torques and amplify them for the actual platform positioning. And during startup, used a simple 'ball level erector' system that relied on simply steel balls in a shallow bowl-like compartment to 'detect down' when first starting up.

    • @thekidwhodraws
      @thekidwhodraws Год назад +9

      That’s how crayfish detect down! They have small rocks in their ear canal with very sensitive fibers surrounding the chamber that holds the small rock, so whatever side is receiving pressure from the rock, that way is down. Engineering following nature

    • @aaron8862006
      @aaron8862006 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@thekidwhodrawsGenuinely fascinating. 2 excellent replies.

  • @lewismassie
    @lewismassie Год назад +139

    There was a soviet launch that was aborted before liftoff. About 30 minutes later the launch escape system activated itself and launched the capsule away from the rocket. It was later found that the internal gyros had read the rotation of the earth as the rocket flying off course and activated the LES

    • @quantumblur_3145
      @quantumblur_3145 8 месяцев назад +8

      let this be a lesson in turning off the lights

    • @fridaycaliforniaa236
      @fridaycaliforniaa236 6 месяцев назад +11

      This is why « guidance is internal » only comes at the last moment. Also, you often had more accurate sensor data when getting them from the ground, in particular if we talk about navigation. If I remember right what I've seen in some articles about the Apollo Guidance Computer and the systems related to it, its function was mostly to serve as a confirmation of what the tracking stations on Earth provided as data for navigation of the CSM module (because the onboard systems had less computing power and were less accurate).

  • @hydroxine2709
    @hydroxine2709 Год назад +71

    It always amazes me how many of these kind of "quirks" engineers had to come up with to put boots on the moon for the first time.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +6

      Same! So many seemingly small things that can make such a huge difference.

    • @AttilaAsztalos
      @AttilaAsztalos Год назад

      And as a cautionary tale of what happens when obscure details like these are not considered carefully enough, we need look no farther than Soyuz 7K-OK-No.1, which thought it was flying off course and triggered its escape launcher while sitting on the pad after an aborted launch, merely due to Earth having rotated under it a few degrees...

    • @christopherbassit2757
      @christopherbassit2757 10 месяцев назад

      There is no moon you sheep. It’s all a big projection. How? It doesn’t rotate.

    • @quantumblur_3145
      @quantumblur_3145 8 месяцев назад +1

      The combination of sophistication and jerry-rigged nonsense is so delightfully human

    • @evanfinch4987
      @evanfinch4987 Месяц назад

      just solving problems bruh

  • @TFB-chris
    @TFB-chris Год назад +145

    Awesome video. Never heard about that before. I cannot imagine how much engineering, thought and work went into the Apollo program. Stunning

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +7

      Thank you so much! So glad that you enjoyed the video and were able to discover something new today!

    • @diverman1023
      @diverman1023 Год назад +2

      Even the computers we use now to comment on this video have to give a lot of credit to the cutting edge compact and yet modular design of the Saturn V's onboard computer. When heavily funded back then, there was absolutely nothing that was out of reach for NASA and the numerous university departments that designed these systems from scratch

    • @SayAhh
      @SayAhh Год назад

      No need for engineering; it relies on prayer alone. /s

    • @TexasEngineer
      @TexasEngineer Год назад +2

      I worked on the Pershing Missile guidance in the Army. The guidance system was very similar except with accelerometers included and they all had air bearing. In the missle school they taught us how the German V2 rocket worked only and it used vacuume tubes instead on transistors. Von Braun was the genius behind the technology.

  • @rigel3294
    @rigel3294 Год назад +59

    This was the most sophisticated explanation ever given by you in this channel.
    I was so blown away that I grabbed my chair initially and prepared myself to boost my testosterone level at it's peak to make myself understand the complex engineering problems that needed to be solved in order to get a footprint on the moon.
    A BIG owe to you for making this video so easy to understand and fun to watch.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +6

      Thank you so much for this comment. It really means a lot that you not only enjoyed the video, but learned something new about something we're all so passionate about here. Cheers!

    • @quantumblur_3145
      @quantumblur_3145 8 месяцев назад

      What on EARTH is this

    • @Pax.YouTube
      @Pax.YouTube 4 месяца назад

      On moon ​@@quantumblur_3145

  • @st0pdr0pandtr0ll
    @st0pdr0pandtr0ll Год назад +13

    As an engineering student myself, the visuals in this video are so helpful in conveying how the system works versus how it is described. Thank you so much for the amazing content!

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +1

      Thank you so much. That's great to hear and I'm really glad you enjoyed the video!

  • @thatAlex1337
    @thatAlex1337 Год назад +17

    Wow, the Saturn V's gyroscope was truly a marvel of engineering! It's amazing how such a small device could help stabilize a rocket that was over 300 feet tall and weighing over 6 million pounds. It just goes to show the incredible attention to detail and precision that went into every aspect of the Apollo missions. Hats off to the brilliant minds behind the Saturn V's gyroscope!

    • @evanfinch4987
      @evanfinch4987 Месяц назад +1

      yeah and a few years later all that rube goldbergery was replaced with laser rings

  • @TeslaMaxwell
    @TeslaMaxwell Год назад +26

    Love the animation and level of art in this video. Also that was the smoothest Segway to a sponsor spot. I almost believed they used a tank.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +8

      Thanks so much! So glad that you enjoyed the video and got a kick out the sponsor haha. I try to keep things light around here haha

    • @genralty
      @genralty Месяц назад

      "the tank is then used to completely tear down the saturn v, since theres nothing to reset the gyros other than to rebuild it"

  • @ceejay960
    @ceejay960 Год назад +6

    The ingenuity of mankind never ceases to amaze me. Imagine how much thinking outside the box was required to build the Saturn V rocket!

  • @ack_
    @ack_ Год назад +8

    The level of accuracy required to make this kind of system, with such tiny elements, work, is astonishing. Thinking that a problem so complex was solved using 3 prisms and light is unreal.

  • @BiggestNoodle
    @BiggestNoodle Год назад +13

    Its just, amazing
    This type of tech is literally one of a kind, and that thing was made to PUT HUMANS ON THE MOON!
    i simply have no words, i am full of amazement.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +4

      Agreed. Pretty mind blowing when you really sit back and think about it.

  • @davidben-avram8298
    @davidben-avram8298 Год назад +3

    It's amazing to think about how complex the Saturn V gyro alignment was. This system enabled the rocket to accurately point in the right direction, despite the immense power and force of the launch. In order to understand how this system works, engineers had to understand complex concepts like the precession of gyroscopes, and the integration of multiple gyroscopes to provide an accurate orientation of the rocket - something that was an incredible feat of engineering in the 1960s. It's truly remarkable to think how much technology has advanced since then, and how much more complex our rockets have become

  • @theredsanic2570
    @theredsanic2570 Год назад +3

    This absolutely changed my mind on the Saturn V -- I used to think about how simple it was and how much better a rocket with the same goal could be today... but this really changed that. The complexity of this system is absolutely mind-blowing, and is something that I feel like would be easier back when Apollo was flying versus trying the same thing today. I doubt anyone would have thought of it!

    • @SeanBZA
      @SeanBZA Год назад +3

      Yes, but remember them it was absolutely cutting edge, totally new, and something that had never been done before. After Saturn that technology went on to be used in so many things that you find all over, even if you do not see them at all, but those spin offs still are having a profound change in the modern world. The servo system there used to track the drift of the IMU with wind eventually landed up being used to correct the laser beam used to read your modern CD. DVD and BD player and recorder, similar problem resolved with the application of that design idea.

    • @markl2322
      @markl2322 3 месяца назад

      I sometimes think that modern technology, and modern engineers tend to over complicate their solutions. Some of the things that the Apollo program developed were the result of the simplest solutions.

  • @PStanley
    @PStanley Год назад +4

    this isn’t my opinion but my uncle always believed the moon landings were fake. Listening to him talk about “how they faked it” was super fascinating but I also felt a little bad for him.

  • @-Daan-
    @-Daan- Год назад +16

    Really fun and details video. There where so many complex parts on the Saturn V, really impressive that they made this more than 50 years ago.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +4

      Agreed. Incredibly impressive and inspiring to think about. So glad you enjoyed the video!

  • @stevens-universe
    @stevens-universe Год назад +12

    How did the Saturn V's guidance system compare to the guidance systems used in rockets today?

    • @SeanBZA
      @SeanBZA Год назад

      Still is the ancestor of them, though the Saturn guidance system was developed in parallel with the missile guidance systems, as both were under development by the same companies, at the same time. Thus a lot of the problems share common solutions, though the modern ones have moved mostly away from mechanical gyro platforms, and instead use solid state gyro units, and rely on computers to correct them for drift, as that can easily be characterised during assembly and test, as you can use a reference platform to allow one axis at a time to be decoupled from rotation and get the inherent drift. They also use accelarometers, and computer based integration, to get velocity, and again to get distance, and then can use the ring gyro units to calculate a position, based off of initial conditions. Then you use things like GPS, or star trackers, to obtain the error you have, and use that as part of the drift correction applied. But the modern reference platforms are now so accurate that you have correction both for rotation of the earth, and also for rotation around the sun, and have to apply as well correction for the motion of the solar system around the galaxy core as well, simply because this does otherwise show up as a long term error.
      In the 1970's Boeing had inertial reference platforms that were stable enough that you could fly an autopilot based flight without any external correction, and have a single flight from London to Sydney do that flight, and at landing it would be within 100 feet of the true position. 3 separate gyro units in each inertial reference unit, and the logic would fault any single one that disagreed more than the specified amount, and still give a valid reference off the other 2, just with a caution that maintenance was required. 2 inertial units, just in case one failed, and as backup you also had the old standby magnetic compass, and the Decca beacon receiver to allow you to plot location, provided you did not use the wrong lane. Later on GPS with the Decca, until the Decca was finally phased out. But even in the 1990's Decca was still in use a lot, simply because the cost of retrofitting a lot of aircraft was expensive, so it was in use till almost every aircraft had been updated to both, before it eventually was slowly switched off world wide, though there are still a few stations running for some countries.

  • @sparrowthenerd
    @sparrowthenerd Год назад +5

    That's super cool, I had never thought about the fact that the IMU would get skewed by the earth's rotation during its time on the pad!

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +2

      Honestly, I hadn't thought too much about it either until I started learning about the system for this video. Every small detail really does matter.

    • @sparrowthenerd
      @sparrowthenerd Год назад +1

      @@primalspace the amount of time cumulatively spent on the Apollo program to iron out details like this really is incredible

    • @joevignolor4u949
      @joevignolor4u949 Год назад +1

      If the rocket sat on the launce pad for 12 hours the gyro platform would be completely upside down.

  • @nojo9684
    @nojo9684 25 дней назад +2

    I hold a lot of pride knowing my Grandfather worked on the Saturn V

  • @ohioexpax1592
    @ohioexpax1592 Месяц назад +1

    I can't say I understand any of that, LOL, but it amazes me that there are people who do understand it, and were intelligent enough to solve the problem. And note: just because you don't understand something, doesn't mean it's "fake news", or that isn't legitimate.

  • @becurious24x7
    @becurious24x7 Год назад +3

    I used to think about how simple it was and how much better a rocket with the same goal could be today... but this really changed that. The complexity of this system is absolutely mind-blowing, and is something that I feel like would be easier back when Apollo was flying versus trying the same thing today

  • @Spartan2035
    @Spartan2035 Год назад +3

    Every time I see a video about the Saturn V, I learn something new. But this infra red light calibration method is just mind blowingly awesome. Thank you for making this!

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +1

      So glad you enjoyed the video and that you were able to learn a little something new! Cheers!

  • @mrfrankiej932
    @mrfrankiej932 Месяц назад +1

    This rocket has been retired for about 50 years now, and I'm still learning new things about it. What an astounding accomplishment and machine. Historians in 500 years will look at the first Moon landings and think damn, why did they stop? Why is there century wide gaps between the next flights.

  • @Amd-1111
    @Amd-1111 Год назад +2

    It's absolutely incredible that the Saturn V went from paper design to flight in just six years. Such small but crucial details like this are mind-blowing
    This was the most sophisticated explanation ever given by you in this channel.
    I was so blown away that I grabbed my chair initially and prepared myself to boost my testosterone level at it's peak to make myself understand the complex engineering problems that needed to be solved in order to get a footprint on the moon.

  • @onalennasehume4586
    @onalennasehume4586 Год назад +4

    That tank insert was pretty funny

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      Haha thanks! Glad you enjoyed that one!

  • @danielbewell6201
    @danielbewell6201 Год назад +6

    Amazing to see how many small yet important systems went into the design

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      Absolutely! So many seemingly small things that can make such a huge difference in the outcome.

  • @PaulinaStopa
    @PaulinaStopa Месяц назад +1

    Interesting to see how advanced the Saturn V's guidance system was, especially when compared to other systems of the era. For instance, during the space race, there was a notable incident where a Russian rocket self-destructed on the launch pad. The rocket had switched to its onboard guidance system, but a hold was put on the launch. The safety protocols, mistakenly identifying that the rocket was not oriented correctly, triggered an explosion for 'safety' reasons. It's fascinating to see how each country tackled the monumental challenges of space navigation and the critical role that guidance systems played in these endeavors.

  • @igxniisan6996
    @igxniisan6996 Год назад +2

    "And that's why a tank came in" lmfaooo I fell off my bed laughing 🤣🤣🤣

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      LOL glad you were able to get a laugh out of that one too!

  • @tinetannies4637
    @tinetannies4637 Год назад +3

    I'm blown away by the creativity and ingenuity of those behind this incredible accomplishment

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      Me too. So many seemingly small things that could make such a huge difference in its success.

    • @adamhughes4442
      @adamhughes4442 Год назад +1

      Makes you proud to be human!

    • @tinetannies4637
      @tinetannies4637 Год назад

      @@adamhughes4442 Amazing that in just 66 years humanity went from the Wright Brothers' first flight to landing on the moon. Just 66 years!

  • @RowanFilms
    @RowanFilms Год назад +4

    Saturn v is just breathtaking I always find out more about it and it never fails to amaze me

  • @liquidpatriot4480
    @liquidpatriot4480 Год назад +2

    Excellent video! I'm reminded of a Soyuz capsule that ejected off its rocket due to a guidance error tricking the computer into thinking it was dangerously off axis. Due to Earth's rotation the gyros went off alignment but not compensated for causing the rocket to think it was falling over and ignited the emergency escape rockets for the Soyuz.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +1

      Yes! It's pretty mind blowing to think about just how many seemingly small things need to go right in order to keep a mission on track. These "small" things make such a huge difference. Thank you for sharing and so glad you enjoyed this one!

  • @RideAcrossTheRiver
    @RideAcrossTheRiver Год назад +2

    The accuracy to 0.001 degree is 3.6 arcseconds. At lunar distance, this works out to maximum ~3.5 km drift from desired trajectory.

  • @frayedsanity
    @frayedsanity Год назад +6

    That was really cool. I did read about the infa red laser thing a while ago, but learning exactly how it works is incredible. I've been learning so much about apollo and saturn lately.
    Great videos.

  • @GladiatorSlows
    @GladiatorSlows Год назад +4

    Wow, I can't wait for Starship and Superheavy's orbital launch. The Saturn V really puts into perspective the class of rocket we can expect to see. Could be sometime next month!

  • @charliehanner
    @charliehanner Год назад +2

    It's amazing how some of the basics we learn in Physics ends up being such a reliable system for rocket guidance... incredible - and just think of the evolution to solid state we are at today! Only ~60 years between the two

  • @tntdoctor
    @tntdoctor Год назад +2

    The more you look into the Saturn V the more ingenious solutions you discover to problems that you never even knew existed and that's pretty cool

  • @dannypipewrench533
    @dannypipewrench533 Год назад +8

    3:13 The Apollo Program was so complex that I actually did not question the tank one bit.
    If I am not mistaken, there was an armored vehicle (troop transport, maybe?) a mile or so up the crawler way filled with firefighters.

  • @JesseTheRef
    @JesseTheRef Год назад +3

    We should have continued using the Saturn V. It was the best heavy lifter and had an almost perfect track record. Same for the Saturn I-B, that was a really workhorse booster that should have been used more.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      💯💯💯

    • @dannypipewrench533
      @dannypipewrench533 Год назад +1

      ABSOLUTELY! The Saturn V should have been allowed to evolve. Imagine all sorts of lengthening, new or additional stages and engines, and new spacecraft.
      Not to mention it remains surprisingly cost effective. Sure, SpaceX has it beat, but SpaceX has everyone beat in terms of price.

  • @sage12
    @sage12 Год назад +2

    The missile knows where it is at all times. It knows this because it knows where it isn't, by subtracting where it is, from where it isn't, or where it isn't, from where it is, whichever is greater, it obtains a difference, or deviation. The guidance sub-system uses deviations to generate corrective commands to drive the missile from a position where it is, to a position where it isn't, and arriving at a position where it wasn't, it now is. Consequently, the position where it is, is now the position that it wasn't, and it follows that the position where it was, is now the position that it isn't. In the event of the position that it is in is not the position that it wasn't, the system has required a variation. The variation being the difference between where the missile is, and where it wasn't. If variation is considered to be a significant factor, it too, may be corrected by the GEA. However, the missile must also know where it was. The missile guidance computance scenario works as follows: Because a variation has modified some of the information the missile has obtained, it is not sure just where it is, however it is sure where it isn't, within reason, and it knows where it was. It now subracts where it should be, from where it wasn't, or vice versa. By differentiating this from the algebraic sum og where it shouldn't be, and where it was. It is able to obtain a deviation, and a variation, which is called "air"

  • @pfranken
    @pfranken Год назад +2

    50 years plus and still discovering new things about this marvel. Wow. ❤

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      So glad you were able to learn something new in this one! Cheers!

  • @n8dawg640
    @n8dawg640 Год назад +5

    How on earth do people think of this stuff, that system is wild

  • @PeterHamiltonz
    @PeterHamiltonz Год назад +9

    Absolutely amazing, I had no idea, and I say this as someone who has watched and read endlessly about Apollo. Love the level of detail in the video as well.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +2

      Thank you so much! I'm so glad you were able to learn something new today and that you enjoyed the video. Means a lot!

  • @OhMySack
    @OhMySack Месяц назад +1

    It was an abso-friggin-lutely awesome time to be alive to see this tech. I was fortunate to be a kid whose Dad worked as a Mech Engineer for North American Rockwell in Downey, CA where the Apollo Command Module was designed and built. Nearly all the families in my neighborhood had Dads that worked for Rockwell in some significant capacity for Apollo so we were immersed in it. Epic times!

  • @MandoMonge
    @MandoMonge 5 месяцев назад

    It’s just mind blowing the amount of ingenuity and attention to detail required for something like this…IN THE 60’s!!!

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  5 месяцев назад

      Absolutely mind-blowing for sure.

  • @ludovicokilowatt3952
    @ludovicokilowatt3952 5 месяцев назад

    It's mind-blowing how every single component is this colossal machine was a triumph of engineering, down to the smallest screw.

  • @philipkudrna5643
    @philipkudrna5643 Год назад +5

    Very interesting video - something I have actually not seen featured so far. Thank you, well done!

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      Thanks so much. So glad that you enjoyed it!

  • @srivathsananand9884
    @srivathsananand9884 Год назад +4

    How the hell do humans come up with this stuff? 🤯🤯🤯

    • @Bruhnerd69
      @Bruhnerd69 Месяц назад

      smairt

    • @indy314159
      @indy314159 23 дня назад

      This was before our brains were reduced to desicated husks by Tik Tok

  • @tullyfisher
    @tullyfisher 6 месяцев назад +2

    Another awesome video! It's one thing to actually build those amazing devices but it's another thing to really (fore)see the need for these and to think about a process so well and so deep that that you don't "forget" to include it. This is also what fascinates me about (space)exploration.

  • @MrGruffteddybear
    @MrGruffteddybear Месяц назад

    That is fascinating. Never knew the gyroscope would go off kilter due to the earth’s rotation. Ingenious solutions to fix the problems.

  • @obbie1osias467
    @obbie1osias467 Год назад +4

    These are the important details that no Moon Landing Deniers and Flatearthers will never comprehend because it's much easier for them to believe in magic🤣🤣🤣

  • @slenderguy12
    @slenderguy12 Год назад +2

    The missile thinks it knows where it is because it thought it knew where it wasn't

  • @derickmathews6831
    @derickmathews6831 Год назад +1

    It's actually crazy how much easier these kinds of systems have become with modern technology but yet we have not gotten a man back on the moon.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +1

      Not yet anyways haha

    • @u1zha
      @u1zha Год назад

      Mostly because there were no more competitors prone to get ahead of the US in the space race... Also men on the moon didn't accomplish much stuff that today's robots couldn't do... And a robot has been sent by China in 2019 you know... which means that a new race is on...
      Artemis is exciting of course, but still, sending people there is a large risk to their life and little practical return on that investment.

  • @sabarib3492
    @sabarib3492 Год назад +4

    Bro awesome video , I ❤️ ur dedication and hard work, good luck , I love science very much and I like how u r explaining everything details about space science.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +1

      Thanks so much! Really means a lot that you're enjoying the content!

  • @davee1471
    @davee1471 Год назад +3

    Woow Learning new things everyday. Thats cool

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      So glad you enjoyed this one! I had a great time putting it together!

  • @EliteSnake
    @EliteSnake 5 месяцев назад +1

    I still can't fathom we did this entire mission with less computing power than we have in our pockets now a days, but the level of engineering that went into this is always going to fascinate me

    • @AM-rd9pu
      @AM-rd9pu 5 месяцев назад +1

      That’s not entirely true. The onboard computers were less powerful than a cellphone, but the computational heavy lifting for the missions was performed by ground based computers.

  • @nielslevert8185
    @nielslevert8185 Год назад +1

    The level of engineering complexity required at the time is simply insane and really beautiful in its own way

  • @chickynuggych
    @chickynuggych Год назад +3

    I love your videos just so much. I lately became interested in space and this was really an other video to help me to know that I love spaceflight

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +1

      Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the channel and my content! There's SO much to learn! Enjoy! :)

  • @the.starman
    @the.starman Год назад +20

    Don't worry, I've got you:
    The rocket knows where it is at all times. It knows this because it knows where it isn't. By subtracting where it is from where it isn't, or where it isn't from where it is (whichever is greater), it obtains a difference, or deviation. The guidance subsystem uses deviations to generate corrective commands to drive the rocket from a position where it is to a position where it isn't, and arriving at a position where it wasn't, it now is. Consequently, the position where it is, is now the position that it wasn't, and it follows that the position that it was, is now the position that it isn't.
    In the event that the position that it is in is not the position that it wasn't, the system has acquired a variation, the variation being the difference between where the rocket is, and where it wasn't. If variation is considered to be a significant factor, it too may be corrected by the GEA. However, the rocket must also know where it was.
    The rocket guidance computer scenario works as follows. Because a variation has modified some of the information the rocket has obtained, it is not sure just where it is. However, it is sure where it isn't, within reason, and it knows where it was. It now subtracts where it should be from where it wasn't, or vice-versa, and by differentiating this from the algebraic sum of where it shouldn't be, and where it was, it is able to obtain the deviation and its variation, which is called error.

    • @dr4d1s
      @dr4d1s Год назад +1

      Great explanation! I would have stopped at the rocket knows where it is because it knows where it isn't and left it at that. But you went the extra mile! I am sure it will help people better understand how guidance systems work.
      The correct answer is always in the comments. Thank you!

    • @rodrigolefever2426
      @rodrigolefever2426 Год назад +1

      ​@@dr4d1s its just a copy paste

  • @nikageladze1833
    @nikageladze1833 Год назад +1

    Wow, its mind blowing that a simple launch is so much more than pressing a button

  • @SapkotaFamily
    @SapkotaFamily Год назад +3

    Primal Space really make sponsors part like a joke.

    • @RyanSmith-nb1dm
      @RyanSmith-nb1dm Год назад

      Bro the tank ad got me 😂

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +1

      haha glad you both enjoyed that one. I do what I can.

  • @RudisBua
    @RudisBua Год назад +10

    the only bad thing about this channel is that there is only one video per month :/
    otherwise - great and interesting as always!

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +2

      So glad that you enjoyed the video and have been enjoying my content! I would love to be able to produce more videos for you guys each month. Still working on how to make that happen haha. Really appreciate the kind words and support!

    • @Lauti-cw2zs
      @Lauti-cw2zs Год назад +2

      @@primalspace better to improve quality over quantity you know. Keep it up you are doing great!

  • @tahsin549
    @tahsin549 Год назад +1

    I think the most controversial space opinion is the idea that we should prioritize space exploration over addressing urgent problems here on Earth. While the exploration of space is undoubtedly exciting and holds enormous potential for scientific discovery and technological advancement, we must also recognize the pressing issues facing our planet, such as climate change, poverty, and inequality.
    That being said, I do believe that space exploration has an important role to play in addressing some of these challenges. For example, satellite technology can help us better understand and address climate change, while space-based solar power has the potential to provide clean energy for people around the world.
    Ultimately, I believe that we need to strike a balance between investing in space exploration and addressing the problems facing our planet. Both are important, and both require our attention and resources.

  • @paulwilliams5208
    @paulwilliams5208 Год назад +1

    "We were picking up a drift, a 15* per hour drift." Thanks Bob

  • @TheTOMEK2905
    @TheTOMEK2905 Год назад +3

    Most controversial space opinion?
    I think death of some people is unaviodable when conquering space and i think that people stand at the forefront of that endavour know that

    • @almafuertegmailcom
      @almafuertegmailcom Год назад

      That's not truly controversial, nor specific to space. A lot of things happen as we do our whole "being humans" thing, and one of them is death. We do our best to avoid it, but sometimes it's just not possible. We accept a number of deaths as an acceptable tradeoff. Some people die while driving, some die while flying, some die buying food, building things, etc.
      What we truly owe them is due diligence. Have you done everything within reason to avoid unnecessary deaths? Good, then let's go ahead. Sometimes that's enough, and sometimes it isn't and something happens. It's the toll we pay for progress.
      The unacceptable deaths are those that were predictable and preventable, like those on Challenger and Columbia, and yet we allowed them to happen for stupid political reasons. That, is not ok.

  • @planetsec9
    @planetsec9 Год назад +3

    And here I thought rope core memory was the most obscure and convoluted component of the Saturn V that I learned about, wow

  • @stevesgaming7475
    @stevesgaming7475 11 месяцев назад +2

    How they engineered these things is utterly beyond me. True geniuses, all of them.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  11 месяцев назад

      Agreed. Pretty amazing stuff!

  • @caliado
    @caliado Год назад +1

    wow the amount of engineering involved is mind blowing. When I was a kid I was just in awe of rockets and space.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      Same! Pretty amazing to think about!

  • @sclyser
    @sclyser Год назад +7

    Your editing and explanations are amazing, also uploading once a month is worth the wait becuse your videos are 🔥

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +1

      Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you enjoy the content and consider it worth the wait! Means a lot!

    • @sclyser
      @sclyser Год назад

      hey consider making a discord?

  • @andycapp9063
    @andycapp9063 Год назад +3

    The ingenuity of engineers 60 years ago is something to be proud of. Have we lost this ability to think through a problem.

  • @magnuskarlsson1050
    @magnuskarlsson1050 Год назад +2

    The other day I kinda started ghosting one of my friends because he wouldn’t stop talking about how the moon landing was fake, I just can’t believe some people are still believing in stuff like that. Anyway I love watching ur videos because I aspire to become an astronaut one day! Thank you so much

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +1

      Thank you so much and thank you for watching. So glad that you're enjoying the channel!

  • @therealcaldini
    @therealcaldini 5 месяцев назад +1

    Hats off to the engineers who came up with this.

  • @YeTenuousUmbrae
    @YeTenuousUmbrae Год назад +1

    I used to work as a surveyor and i love all these technical explanations. I'm impressed they could do this in the 60s

  • @airinmikune9762
    @airinmikune9762 Год назад +2

    It's sad to think that there's a lot of people who insist the whole moon landing is just a hoax. Imagine the complexities this simple mechanism has just to know the position of the rocket. Now imagine how many more advance system the rocket have and everyone of them has to work in unison. It would be infinitely easier to just photoshop some image at that point but NASA manage to do it still, I just wish people would give them more credit than due.

  • @tomschmidt381
    @tomschmidt381 Год назад

    I am familiar with the Saturn V LVDC but I had not thought about the problem of Earth's rotation, or wind for that matter. What a clever solution.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      Very clever! I really enjoyed learning more about it for this video as well!

  • @ajsnell6256
    @ajsnell6256 22 дня назад

    Using self driving cars as an example of how this works is wild

  • @fridaycaliforniaa236
    @fridaycaliforniaa236 6 месяцев назад

    It never ceases to amaze me that there's always new things we never talked about in the Apollo program. This seems like a never ending source of amazing engineering marvels discoveries.

  • @pjimmbojimmbo1990
    @pjimmbojimmbo1990 Год назад

    Good explanation on how the Saturn V got it Bearings, just prior to launch. Now to explain, how while the S1 was burning, the Guidance System really wasn't doing much Steering out of Fear that any movement, even a few Degree would break the Booster in half, and that any Deviation from the intended Path, was actually the Job of the 2nd Stage to get it back on Course.

    • @michaelfields8793
      @michaelfields8793 Год назад

      I read that, also. The SI-C performed a pre-programmed tower-clearing yaw, a roll maneuver as it climbed, and a slow pitchover to its flight path. It ignored any deviation imposed by wind loads and kept the thrust aligned with center of mass. In the upper atmosphere, having shed over half its weight and a third of its height, the S-II took over active steering and continued on to place the Apollo payload where it should be. Wasn't this a good video?

  • @Sr1-69
    @Sr1-69 Год назад +1

    This is why I'm fascinated by space travel,the small things matter alot

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      Exactly! So amazing to think about how many seemingly small things need to be considered in order for a mission to be successful. mind blowing stuff!

  • @theAstra_
    @theAstra_ Год назад +1

    My most controversial space opinion would probably be that if Relativity plays their cards right, the Terran R could see more use than the Falcon 9

    • @andrewdoesyt7787
      @andrewdoesyt7787 Год назад

      That’s kind of a crazy idea, because we haven’t seen relativity send even a small rocket to orbit, we know nothing about Terran R.

    • @theAstra_
      @theAstra_ Год назад

      @@andrewdoesyt7787 As I said, if they play their cards right. A fully reusable rocket of that payload class would be a huge breakthrough

  • @johnpauldeguzman2800
    @johnpauldeguzman2800 Год назад +1

    I'm particularly impressed by how far human civilization has advanced over time and how these projects have been made better by learning from past mistakes.

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад +1

      Agreed! It is amazing to think how far we have come in such an arguably short amount of time. I'm really looking forward to seeing where we go and what we discover next!

  • @samyoder9741
    @samyoder9741 Год назад +1

    This is actually one of the coolest facts I have learned about the Saturn V. No one ever things about all of the incredible technology outside of the rocket that still helped it successful get to the moon!

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      Agreed. I really enjoyed putting this one together. Pretty wild to think that there are so many seemingly small things that can make such a huge difference.

  • @actorious9646
    @actorious9646 Год назад +1

    It's cool seeing laws you learn in school being applied to real world issues, such as the law that the incident angle = angle of reflection.

  • @balls7168
    @balls7168 5 месяцев назад

    The method with the theodolite is also used to align telescope mirrors, its known as colimating, just a fun fact! amazing how such complex machinery uses something that people may use in their everyday lifes, really shows how technology paves the way for the future.

  • @Lunzicle
    @Lunzicle 5 месяцев назад +2

    This gyro also single handily proves the earth is not flat. Boom!

  • @tiffanystales982
    @tiffanystales982 Год назад +1

    Well u learn something new every day ..just when i thought I'd heard everything about the Saturn 5 Rocket, I learn this incredible feat of engineering brilliance .

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      Love to hear that! So glad that you were able to learn something new in this video! Cheers!

  • @MadScientist267
    @MadScientist267 Год назад

    I love how Dale resistors became pendulums in your animation 🤣

  • @JoshLoweSpace
    @JoshLoweSpace Год назад +1

    I know a lot about the Saturn V, but this was completely new to me! Didn't think i would be learning anything new but i was wrong. Great video!!

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      Thanks so much! So glad that you enjoyed this one and that you were able to learn something new about a topic you already know so much about!

  • @TheCousinEddie
    @TheCousinEddie Год назад

    Every time I learn something new about the engineering of the Saturn V, I am so very impressed. I had no idea this system existed prior to watching the video.

  • @creativecraving
    @creativecraving Год назад

    You can see from the way the gyro was designed that it was designed by multiple teams, working separately. The inner platform has all the information which is needed to control the rocket. But, it only uses that information to move the gyro motors; not the rocket.
    Instead, the outer navigation system infers the information gained by the inner gyro platform from observing which actions it takes. Those two systems are completely independent, and rely very minimally on each other's design. Effectively, each team could move forward in isolation while only sharing the physical dimensions of the gyro unit and a short description of how the other system works.
    That kind of isolation is exactly what software teams try to replicate in modern software.

  • @AdmiralThumbs
    @AdmiralThumbs Год назад +1

    My most controversial space opinion might be that For All Mankind is an amazing show.

  • @peterells1720
    @peterells1720 Год назад +1

    Wonderful graphics - the video highlighted details about the Saturn V guidance system that I was completely unaware of. (All I knew was the vague fact that these systems were all contained in a ring near the top of the rocket.)

    • @primalspace
      @primalspace  Год назад

      Thank you so much. So glad you enjoyed the video!

  • @Jumpingjackflash123
    @Jumpingjackflash123 Год назад +1

    The engineering on this kinda stuff is just insane.