Newsgroups: sci.space
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: heavylift launchers
Message-ID: <1989Mar11.214557.14472@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <203340@<1989Mar3> <218100011@s.cs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 89 21:45:57 GMT

In article <218100011@s.cs.uiuc.edu> carroll@s.cs.uiuc.edu writes:
>	I'm still missing something - why not start cranking out Saturn V's
>again? Would it be as difficult as building a new launcher? ...

No, but it's not orders of magnitude easier, either.  A substantial amount
of the engineering would have to be re-done, especially the development
and testing of the engines.  The Boeing/Hughes "Jarvis" study very badly
wanted to use Saturn V engines rather than Shuttle engines, but eventually
had to give up on the idea.  "When we dropped it, it broke."

Don't forget that all the launch facilities have been rebuilt for the
Shuttle, too.

>... Are the designs for the Saturn available to space companies? 

I imagine so.  What's lacking is the capital to do anything about it.
It would cost a lot, and there are no guaranteed customers.
-- 
Welcome to Mars!  Your         |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
passport and visa, comrade?    | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu