Saturn NERVA

[Alvis 3.14159]

Another of the Collier/Von Braun booster segment inspired designs. Here we see what we have come to know as the actual Saturn V first stage, combined with the early 1950s styled second stage, and a third stage carrying an experimental NERVA engine, designed for long duration deep space missions. Manned flybys of Saturn and Jupiter would one day be achieved in the late 1990s with such an engine, but it would be best known for the role it played in landing men on Mars in 1988.


This was built using the parts left over from the Saturn CV kitbash. Once again, the stages fit almost perfectly.

Alvis Pi

[PR19_Kit]

...... but it would be best known for the role it played in landing men on Mars in 1988.

Hm, I must have missed that somehow. 

Cracking look model though. 

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Well done! And interesting back story, too. The NERVA engine, I think, actually would have had us on Mars in the eighties. The build really has that early sixties feel. Nice job!

[Mossie]

Love that idea, Mars on a bucket of sunshine!

...... but it would be best known for the role it played in landing men on Mars in 1988.

Hm, I must have missed that somehow. 

Cracking look model though. 

You might have have missed it Kit, the documentaries 2001 and 2010 are regularly shown on TV but 1988 only crops up in on ebay occasionally in a short lived boxset...

[KJ_Lesnick]

Uh, you know I have a diagram you guys could probably use of one NERVA proposal...