01-14-2021, 02:18 AM
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Contest, Sport, it's all good......
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: West of Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 760
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Thing is.... the biggest reason for a C-8 / Nova to exist was for either Lunar Direct, or Earth Orbit Rendezvous. With totally different looking spacecraft on top.
See the drawing on this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_C-8
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe.../6/6f/SatC8.svg
Even Earth Orbit Rendezvous was a bit farfetched to do with a NOVA or C-8, once it became clear that EOR could be done with two Saturn-V launches. Once Lunar Orbit Rendezvous was chosen, it was possible to do it all with one Saturn-V to launch all the Apollo hardware.
So I'm a bit surprised at the C-8 / Nova drawings with normal Apollo-looking spacecraft on top. Or... are those really Apollo with normal shrouds and LM's tucked inside of the shrouds? Note that this Direct Ascent lander pretty much has a early Apollo-like CM/SM, a VERY short adapter shroud, and a 21'8" diameter stage with legs for the lander portion. And yes, it would have had a LES tower for launch. But not the long adapter shroud that was needed for the LOR Lunar Module.
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