How NASA brought back the monsterous F-1 moon rocket engine back to life

[Richard Cranium]

Pretty interesting article...

https://arstechnica.com/science/2013/04/how-nasa-brought-the-monstrous-f-1-moon-rocket-back-to-life/

 

[Budnicks]

Thanks RC that was pretty cool read

freaken' cool ol' liquid fuel Saturn V F-1 rocket technology

 

[Dartari]

Very cool

 

[BeatersRus]

that was a pretty good read and i wondered if they had gotten it going further...
sadly.....this is what i found.

That project has been cancelled (or at least put on hold) as of June 2019.
NASA discontinued studies of upgrading the SLS, including study of reviving the F-1. Soon the testing of the F-1 gas generator at Marshall Space Flight Center also came to a halt. The F-1 went silent once more.

 

[snakeoil24]

We can do anything in this country we put our minds too hope this goes well and we cqn tell the Russians to take their Rockets and shove them where the sun don't shine..

 

[Hey-O]

We can fly to the moon and have the biggest rocket in the world, all I want is for someone to come up with a healthy donut that tastes great.

 

[DeltaV]

 

[Slap Stick]

On a related note Pratt & Whitney has dusted off the old J58 engine from the SR-71 and is working on improving it to make even more power. The idea is to power a hypersonic aircraft.

 

[F4R/T]

Way cool stuff... thanks for sharing!

 

[Cojohnso1]

It is crazy how wicked those liquid propellant engines really were. I had to explain to my kids the difference a Space shuttle launch and my generation Apollo launch. But then NASA showed the difference. Standing one mile away for Shuttle. 3+ miles away for Apollo. That engine killed everything around it. It is stunning looking at that technology today? Like the Mercury command modules? I wouldn't go in that flimsy thing on ferris wheel ride. Let alone blasted into orbit. Those guys had some serious balls.

 

[Slap Stick]

And to think it was all done by the lowest bidder!

 

[Cojohnso1]

And to think it was all done by the lowest bidder!

True. But there were only 1/2 dozen companies that were qualified to even bid.

 

[Nate S]

It is crazy how wicked those liquid propellant engines really were. I had to explain to my kids the difference a Space shuttle launch and my generation Apollo launch. But then NASA showed the difference. Standing one mile away for Shuttle. 3+ miles away for Apollo. That engine killed everything around it. It is stunning looking at that technology today? Like the Mercury command modules? I wouldn't go in that flimsy thing on ferris wheel ride. Let alone blasted into orbit. Those guys had some serious balls.

So true. Amazing it worked as well as it did. Slide rules and all.

 

[Slap Stick]

True. But there were only 1/2 dozen companies that were qualified to even bid.

I don't know if qualified would be the right word. The gummint invited companies to bid.
Tiny McDonnell Aircraft had no experience whatsoever. In fact, no one did.
North American, Convair and others had been building military aircraft for many years and had much more experience than MAC (McDonnell Aircraft Company).
And an auto maker was chosen to build the launch vehicles.
Kind of an unusual group, but the only way to get that experience is to do it.
And do it they did.