trivia about the space program

[georgeniebling]

I once heard a bit about how the size of the Saturn V was dicated by a series of things going back to the decision to make the Roman Roads a certain width ... that effected carts which effected trains which so on and so on ....<br /><br />anyone know what I'm talking about?<br />

 

[rybanis]

I do know that SRB width is dictated by the size of railroad tunnels. The width? 2 horses standing side by side.<br /><br />(Is that urban legend?) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[georgeniebling]

yeah, thats what I was thinking about ....<br /><br />if someone has that whole long list I'd love to see it

 

[jammers]

I've never heard it said about the Saturn V, but there's an explanation of how it relates to the Space Shuttle SRBs here.

 

[CalliArcale]

It is an urban legend. In fact, train tunnel widths aren't as uniform as one might expect and are not all consistent with the sizes of ancient Roman roads. The widths usually vary in proportion to the gauge of the rails (the distance between them), and this tends to be determined more by their function than anything else.<br /><br />The SRB segments are transported over the general freight lines used in the United States. But this has only the loosest of associations to the size of ancient Roman roads -- basically, they aren't that size because Roman roads were, they're that size because it's a convenient size. <br /><br />EDIT: But it still makes for a good story. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[drwayne]

There is also a Sat 5 related urban legend that the plans were lost - they were not.<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>