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These are screen shots from a video of (link broken, this will have to do for now) the Assignment Earth episode of Star Trek (TOS). It was filmed in January 1968. I would assume that the image shown on the screen is NASA file footage, and that this would be somewhere in Florida.

Are all of these of LC-39? Is it clear which pad(s)? Is there any chance one can tell which mission these might be of?

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    $\begingroup$ This was asked on the sf stack exchange a while back. Can't post link, on prehistoric device. $\endgroup$
    – Organic Marble
    Jan 13, 2018 at 14:11
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    $\begingroup$ @OrganicMarble Oh! I just noticed that it's your SciFi SE question :-) Using youtu.be/wD3T1myZ6rU for comparison of the opening scene's Earth rendering, the Daily Motion link above seems to be the original, not the remastered version. If so, perhaps then a direct comparison could be made to see if there has been any footage upgrades? $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Jan 14, 2018 at 3:59

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This is a Saturn V! Although from which mission I'm a bit uncertain of. Note however in the first two images, the photos have been stretched vertically by an incredible proportion, making the vehicle look preposterously tall.

Given this episode was filmed in January 1968, this places some upper bounds on what specific vehicle we're seeing here. It's either:

  • SA-500F, first vertical: May 25, 1966 (at LC-39A). Fit checks.
  • SA-500D, first vertical: ~1966. Vibration checks.
  • SA-501 (Apollo 4), first vertical: Unknown. Launched: November 9, 1967.
  • SA-502 (Apollo 6), first vertical: March 17, 1967. Launched: April 4, 1968.
  • SA-503 (Apollo 8), first vertical: December 20, 1967. Launched: December 21, 1968.

All five of these vehicles were erected on LC-39A specifically.

The unofficial Star Trek wiki has this to say about the episode:

The rocket stock footage in this episode is actually of three Saturn Vs: footage of the rocket on the ground is a combination of the SA-500F Test Vehicle (the only Saturn V to feature "USA" markings on the third stage) and Apollo 6 (the only Saturn V launched with a white service module). Footage of the rocket launching is of Apollo 4.

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  • $\begingroup$ Great answer! Thank you for pointing out why the first images look so familliar and yet strange at the same time. $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Jan 14, 2018 at 2:16
  • $\begingroup$ As @OrganicMarble points out it turns out that there is a similar question with an answer that contains some overlap, but it looks like distortion (aspect ratio change) is not mentioned there. $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Jan 14, 2018 at 2:22
  • $\begingroup$ +1 for most of the pictures. However the first two pictures are of a different pad. LC39 A and B do not quite look like that and are further from the sea. $\endgroup$
    – Puffin
    Jan 17, 2022 at 18:14
  • $\begingroup$ @Puffin I agree w/ you. I will ask a separate question. Because I couldn't immediately ID the pad. $\endgroup$
    – Organic Marble
    Jan 17, 2022 at 18:38

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