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NASA Considers Apollo-Era F1 Engine For Space Launch System
MarkWhittington writes "A company named Dynetics, in partnership with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, will perform a study contract for NASA to explore whether a modern version of the Saturn V F1 booster (PDF) could be used on the Space Launch System. These would be the basis for a liquid fueled rocket that would enhance the SLS to make it capable of launching 130 metric tons to low Earth orbit, thus making it capable of supporting deep space exploration missions in the 2020s."
Can you really trust Dynetics? I mean, come on! They are going to be late and over budget, but blame all the problems on Thetans. Then ask NASA to pay a bit more, promising higher level analysis.
This is what I like about rocket engines. A rocket engine designed for a specific load in the 60s and today would have nearly the same design. A modernized F1 is entirely logical.
There have been plenty of advances since the 60s, especially in the materials sciences,
it's just that no one but NASA would spend the money on R&D.
Even the private space companies of today are building their engines using cast-offs from the NASA programs of old.
They look for parts in a California junkyard called Norton Sales, where used NASA parts go to die.
You're not going to find cheap rocket grade titanium turbopumps anywhere else in the world.
Heck, even NASA has had to go scrounging through that junkyard,
because they've destroyed the blueprints for so many old pieces of equipment,
that the only way to rebuild them is to find an original and reverse engineer it.
Your beautiful words,
Almost seem intelligent,
But are really just shit.
- Burma Shave.