# Apollo 11 engines found. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 20, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499 "2013-03-20T23:13:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/1 "2013-03-20T23:13:34Z")
Love stuff like this: [http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-21/an-expedition-recovers-apollo-engines/4585754](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-21/an-expedition-recovers-apollo-engines/4585754) > [@](#): > > The founder of internet retail giant Amazon, Jeff Bezos, says his mission to recover the engines from the Apollo 11 moon mission, which plunged into the ocean decades ago, has been successful. Love to see some more photo’s. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/2 "2013-03-20T23:42:36Z")
Trés kewl! Those need to go on display outside the Smithsonian. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/3 "2013-03-21T00:33:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Mr Bezos used private funds to raise the F-1 engines from their resting places 4,267 metres below the surface of the ocean, even though he has maintained that they remain the property of NASA. 4,267m is an interesting number. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/4 "2013-03-21T00:45:04Z")
That is just amazingly cool! Thanks for sharing this with us, **Battle Pope**! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/5 "2013-03-21T00:53:15Z")
Yes, it certainly is. I hope it’s a numbers matching engine. Wonder how long before they can confirm. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/6 "2013-03-21T01:31:03Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > 4,267m is an interesting number. It’s a conversion of 14,000 ft. The idiot who converted it doesn’t understand significant figures. (I remember our newspaper had a recipe which said to cut meat into 2.54 cm cubes. Really? Accurate to within a tenth of a millimetre? You mean 1" cubes don’t you?!) ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/7 "2013-03-21T07:05:02Z")
[http://www.bezosexpeditions.com/updates.html](http://www.bezosexpeditions.com/updates.html) Jeff Bezos’ blog with more pics and some video ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/8 "2013-03-21T11:11:59Z")
How can they know it’s from Apollo 11? I mean, there were a few launches out that way. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/9 "2013-03-21T13:56:38Z")
> [@Lord\_Mondegreen](#): > > It’s a conversion of 14,000 ft. The idiot who converted it doesn’t understand significant figures. (I remember our newspaper had a recipe which said to cut meat into 2.54 cm cubes. Really? Accurate to within a tenth of a millimetre? You mean 1" cubes don’t you?!) I’m just waiting for that story to get picked up again by a newspaper that uses imperial measurements, which will faithfully convert it to 13,999ft. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/10 "2013-03-21T13:58:25Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > [http://www.bezosexpeditions.com/updates.html](http://www.bezosexpeditions.com/updates.html) > > Jeff Bezos’ blog with more pics and some video I want to go on a sexpedition as well. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/11 "2013-03-21T14:08:33Z")
If memory serves me, Saturn Vs were used for Apollo missions 8 through 17 (Apollo 7 used the Saturn 1B). So there are 50 of those Stage 1 engines out there, of which only 5 are from Apollo 11. I’d be surprised if they got lucky with the first one found, but it’s possible each one had a distinctive enough trajectory that they could have a much better chance of finding the right one. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/12 "2013-03-21T14:22:50Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > If memory serves me, Saturn Vs were used for Apollo missions 8 through 17 (Apollo 7 used the Saturn 1B). So there are 50 of those Stage 1 engines out there, of which only 5 are from Apollo 11. I’d be surprised if they got lucky with the first one found, but it’s possible each one had a distinctive enough trajectory that they could have a much better chance of finding the right one. Maybe they had serial numbers or other identifiable markings on them? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/13 "2013-03-21T14:32:53Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Maybe they had serial numbers or other identifiable markings on them? I think they might well have a number on them. I’m just wondering how far apart the various stage 1s were when they hit the water. It’s quite interesting to me- did the stage 1 hit the water intact or did it disintegrate in its descent through the air, how far apart were the various splashdown points, how would currents have affected the descent through the water, etc. Then to get a clue they’d have to find someone who can dig up the trajectory and where it was at stage separation, etc. Quite a nice bit of work in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/14 "2013-03-21T14:45:10Z")
Beautiful. That linked photo is art! ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/15 "2013-03-21T15:14:34Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I’m just wondering how far apart the various stage 1s were when they hit the water. It’s quite interesting to me- did the stage 1 hit the water intact or did it disintegrate in its descent through the air, how far apart were the various splashdown points, how would currents have affected the descent through the water, etc. I always just assumed that the entire stage fell away from the rocket intact and stayed that way. If it was strong enough withstand the stresses of a Saturn V launch, I figured it should be damn near indestructible. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/16 "2013-03-21T15:21:40Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I always just assumed that the entire stage fell away from the rocket intact and stayed that way. If it was strong enough withstand the stresses of a Saturn V launch, I figured it should be damn near indestructible. But it starts reentry at about 6000 mph. And as it descends, it’s probably tumbling, and I’d guess that that, plus the deceleration stresses due to the thickening atmosphere could be enough to shake some things loose. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/17 "2013-03-21T15:21:59Z")
> [@echo7tango](#): > > How can they know it’s from Apollo 11? I mean, there were a few launches out that way. Stamp on the side:“IF FOUND, MAIL TO NEIL ARMSTRONG CARE OF NASA-POSTAGE GUARANTEED” ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/18 "2013-03-21T16:04:55Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > But it starts reentry at about 6000 mph. And as it descends, it’s probably tumbling, and I’d guess that that, plus the deceleration stresses due to the thickening atmosphere could be enough to shake some things loose. Not to mention hitting the water at terminal velocity. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-11-engines-found/653499/19 "2013-03-21T16:05:03Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I always just assumed that the entire stage fell away from the rocket intact and stayed that way. If it was strong enough withstand the stresses of a Saturn V launch, I figured it should be damn near indestructible. Besides what **Earl** says, yes it has to be very strong but most of that strength is generally in one direction, along the long axis of the rocket. It’ll be much less strong in other directions. It’s not like it’s a sphere and equally strong in all directions.