Saturn V Firing Room #2
It always amazed me with the enormity of the Saturn Launch Control Center firing rooms. Originally it was planned to have four launch pads each their own dedicated firing room. Ultimately only 2 pads were build and 3 firing rooms.
Depending on the mission and launch vehicle there could be over 130 consoles and personal on the main floor. Each one of the Saturn’s stages, fueling systems and launch tower systems would have numerous dedicated consoles controlling and monitoring even the tiniest system.
Over the years a number of panels have popped up on in the various space auctions. Most have been tracked to Firing Room 2. Room 1 conducted all of the Apollo missions except Apollo 10 which room 2 supported. Room 2 also did the manned launches for Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. Many of room 1’s consoles are either on display at the Saturn V center at the Kennedy Space Center, or likely on loan to other museums.
This panel is for the “Swing Arm 7” near the very top of the launch tower. Each tower had seven such “access arms” allowing both personnel and equipment access to the various points on the Saturn. Arm #7 was where the legendary White Room was located that allowed the crew access to the spacecraft.Their final contact with earth was controlled here.
To think that as complicated as each console was and each room, consider how much work and design it to work put up one room and think that they were going to do FOUR!
Top Photo: ©2020 by Mike Smithwick
