Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!pilchuck!seahcx!phred!petej
From: petej@phred.UUCP (Pete Jarvis)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Improving main engine power
Message-ID: <2873@phred.UUCP>
Date: 4 Dec 89 15:33:46 GMT
References: <1989Nov23.165606.27671@utzoo.uucp> <117.UUL1.3#5131@mvac23.UUCP> <5104@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM>
Reply-To: petej@phred.UUCP (Pete Jarvis)
Organization: <5104@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM>o
Lines: 15

In article <5104@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM> philj@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Phil Jansen) writes:
>Hi.  I heard a rumor that NASA was working on improving the shuttle main
>engine thrust by 50%  (maximum power right now is 104% -- they froze the
>
>My question is, why improve thrust to ~150%?  Since the shuttle was designed
>for only 3G's of acceleration, what good does the extra power do?  Doesn't it
>just mean you use your fuel faster?
>
>Phil Jansen               If you repeat things often enough, they become true.

Yes, they are working on an improved engine design. They aren't doing it
to make the Shuttle go faster, but to allow for heavier payloads. I believe
another reason is to use them on the Shuttle-C, a cargo version of today's
Shuttle. 
..........Peter Jarvis.......... Physio-Control  Redmond, WA.