Jeff Bezos’ expedition team found the Saturn V remains on the sea floor, three miles down, near Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
An Internet mogul’s private underwater expedition team has successfully recovered two of the engines that propelled the first humans to the moon.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and space enthusiast, shared his discovery with the world from his ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
“We’ve seen an underwater wonderland,” Bezos writes on his website. “An incredible sculpture garden of twisted F-1 engines that tells the story of a fiery and violent end, one that serves testament to the Apollo program.”
The search team used high-tech sonar equipment and remote operated vehicles to bring the engines up from three miles beneath the Atlantic Ocean.
Bezos’ goal was to find the engines that launched astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins into space, KOMO News reports.
Since the rockets’ serial numbers are missing, it will take some time for scientists to link them to a specific Apollo mission.
"We might see more during restoration. The objects themselves are gorgeous," Bezos wrote.
During the 1960s and 1970s, these engines were used to launch the Saturn V rocket 36 miles off the ground at a speed of about 6,000 mph. After two and a half minutes, they dropped into the ocean while the Saturn V continued on into space.
The sea floor near Florida’s Kennedy Space Center is littered with the remains of rocket launches.
Although it Bezos’ deep pockets brought the rockets to light, they are still owned by NASA. Bezos plans to use the space remains to build displays of the two F-1 engines. The artifacts will then find permanent homes in a museum — either the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, or Seattle’s Museum of Flight.
“This is a historic find,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement. “I congratulate the team for its determination and perseverance in the recovery of these important artifacts of our first efforts to send humans beyond Earth orbit.”
The Amazon CEO’s fascination with space began back in 1969, when the 5-year-old Bezos watched Armstrong walk on the moon.
Since then, the billionaire has created his own space startup, Blue Origin. Its mission is to lower the cost of spaceflight.
“We’re excited to get this hardware on display where just maybe it will inspire something amazing,” Bezos said.
An Internet mogul’s private underwater expedition team has successfully recovered two of the engines that propelled the first humans to the moon.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and space enthusiast, shared his discovery with the world from his ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
“We’ve seen an underwater wonderland,” Bezos writes on his website. “An incredible sculpture garden of twisted F-1 engines that tells the story of a fiery and violent end, one that serves testament to the Apollo program.”
The search team used high-tech sonar equipment and remote operated vehicles to bring the engines up from three miles beneath the Atlantic Ocean.
Bezos’ goal was to find the engines that launched astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins into space, KOMO News reports.
Since the rockets’ serial numbers are missing, it will take some time for scientists to link them to a specific Apollo mission.
"We might see more during restoration. The objects themselves are gorgeous," Bezos wrote.
During the 1960s and 1970s, these engines were used to launch the Saturn V rocket 36 miles off the ground at a speed of about 6,000 mph. After two and a half minutes, they dropped into the ocean while the Saturn V continued on into space.
The sea floor near Florida’s Kennedy Space Center is littered with the remains of rocket launches.
Although it Bezos’ deep pockets brought the rockets to light, they are still owned by NASA. Bezos plans to use the space remains to build displays of the two F-1 engines. The artifacts will then find permanent homes in a museum — either the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, or Seattle’s Museum of Flight.
“This is a historic find,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement. “I congratulate the team for its determination and perseverance in the recovery of these important artifacts of our first efforts to send humans beyond Earth orbit.”
The Amazon CEO’s fascination with space began back in 1969, when the 5-year-old Bezos watched Armstrong walk on the moon.
Since then, the billionaire has created his own space startup, Blue Origin. Its mission is to lower the cost of spaceflight.
“We’re excited to get this hardware on display where just maybe it will inspire something amazing,” Bezos said.
Source : NYDailyNews
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