Jeff Kell writes:

> But in typical
>Dilbert fashion, the tooling for the Saturn-V and most importantly the
>J1 engines has been, umm, "lost or misplaced".

This is an urban myth. The tooling hasn't been lost or misplaced; it's
just worthless. There are multiple copies of the drawings, stored in
several different locations, so recreating the tooling is easy. But can
YOU get parts for 30-year-old high-tech machinery? Most of the electrical
components used in those rockets haven't been made for decades. 30+
years' worth of advances in materials science make possible dramatic
improvements in the propulsion and cost efficiency of rocket engines. And
don't forget that the F-1 (not J-series, which were used in the second
stage) engines last for only about three minutes. If you think it's
expensive flying the Shuttle, look at the figures for Saturn V (don't
forget to adjust for inflation).

For example, the Space Shuttle main engine has been modified to eliminate
the 20-year-old technology in its fuel and oxidizer pumps. As a result:

>The newly designed pump requires fewer parts overall, with 50 percent
>fewer rotating parts. The new turbopump's improved durability will
>significantly increase the number of missions between major overhauls.
>
>The current design features welded construction. The new design uses a
>unique casting process to eliminate welds, which require meticulous
>inspections. In addition, the current design requires special coatings for
>thermal protection. These coatings are no longer necessary in the new
>turbopump design because the hardware is constructed of materials which
>are more heat tolerant and less sensitive to the hydrogen environment.
(From
<http://pscinfo.pscni.nasa.gov/general/factsheets/html/11SSME.html>.)

Other engine improvements have resulted from the use of computational
fluid dynamics simulations that would have been utterly impossible 30
years ago.

Sometimes old things outlive their usefulness. Remember that the next
time you ponder keeping those old manuals :-).

-- Bruce


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Toback    Tel: (602) 996-8601| My candle burns at both ends;
OPT, Inc.            (800) 858-4507| It will not last the night;
11801 N. Tatum Blvd. Ste. 142      | But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -
Phoenix AZ 85028                   | It gives a lovely light.
[log in to unmask]                   |     -- Edna St. Vincent Millay