Controlling the Powerful Apollo Saturn V Rocket
It’s reasonable to think that the Abort Guidance System (AGC) has steered and controlled the Saturn V rocket that took the Lunar Module and the Command Module CM to its moon-bound trajectory.
Or even the Saturn IB rocket used for Earth orbital missions like Apollo 7. But in fact, it isn’t true.
The AGC produced limited guidance-system backup for some of the Saturn burns.
TLVDC
But the primary responsibility for guiding the Saturn rested with yet another onboard computer.
It was the mighty TLVDC. Or the Launch Vehicle Digital Computer.
The astronauts could observe several sensor readings from the Saturn V guidance system on their displays.
But neither they nor the AGC usually had any control over the Saturn V rocket.
Unlike the AGC and AGS – Abort Guidance System (also known as Abort Guidance Section), the LVDC was not placed in the Command or Lunar Module.
IU (Instrument Unit)
It was installed in Saturn V, in a non-propulsive stage called the IU (Instrument Unit).
The IU sat above the final propulsive stage, the S-IVB, and consequently was the last part of the Saturn to be dropped by the Command Module.
But there’s no disputing that, at present, we know far less about the LVDC than about any of the other Apollo flight computers.
How Did the Saturn V Steer?
Can you steer the Saturn V, and was the rocket stable during takeoff? According to Wernher von Braun, he said that;
“In Saturn V, the fins lessen the aerodynamic instability enough to ensure that the astronauts can safely abort.”
The outer four engines were steerable. To steer the Saturn V rocket in flight, the Saturn 5’s massive F-1 engines could gimbal, or move, in several directions, pushed by actuators.
Fun Facts
Is it true that the Apollo computer had less power than a digital pocket calculator?
No, it is not valid.
The AGC’s (Apollo Guidance Computer) performance was equal to the CPU’s (central processing units) of computers like the ZX Spectrum and the Commodore 64.
The computers were made for the harshness of spaceflight. So its software was hard-wired into coils, and, crucially, it was set up so it couldn’t crash.
Watch Curious Droid’s exciting video here to understand better how this works.
That’s it. I hope you found this short article interesting.
Check out this article that reveals the inside of the Apollo Saturn V rocket and its significant components. You will be amazed. See for yourself these fantastic drawings.