Return of the F-1 rocket

[MartG]

A US company is proposing to replace the SLS SRB boosters with ones using F-1 engines. This type of booster was originally proposed for uprated Saturn V missions back in the 60s - yet more evidence that the Shuttle was an aberration which has set back human spaceflight by 30 years.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1204/18dynetic...

[qube_TA]

Yup, very cool though, modern tech using a classic design.

[Eric Mc]

I would love to see the F1 back. It was perfect for the job of lifting a heavy rocket off the pad. I always look on it as the 1st and 2nd gear of the Saturn V.

You can keep your fancy Hydrogen/Oxygen engines for the showy upper atmosphere- space bit of the launch.

I wonder how they'll be able to make them resuable. Von Braun and his team certainly looked at this but they didn't really have the time to look into that aspect of the F1 as they puushed for "end of the decade" goal.

I don't think Von Braun would have used the terms "neat and cool" though

[qube_TA]

VB was always down with the kids, I'm sure if he was still around he'd be using 'dope', 'sick', 'off-the-hook' and 'awesome'.

[MartG]

Eric Mc said:

I wonder how they'll be able to make them resuable.

I know they did some salt water immersion tests with H-1 engines, which worked fine with minimal refurbishment after a week in the water. Given similar corrosion resistant materials used in the F-1 there shouldn't be much refurb needed - probably similar to the SSME refurb between shuttle flights. It would be interesting to see the state of any F-1s Bezios manages to haul up from the bottom of the Atlantic.

As for possible impact damage on landing I can think of two ways to minimise it a) 'chutes in the tail so the booster lands nose first, or b) the F-1 nozzle extension skirt is designed to absorb the impact ( the nozzle was made in two parts, the top bit with the combustion chamber, and a bolt-on extension ).

[Eric Mc]

They did conduct parawing gliding tests with models of the Saturn I first stage.

Interesting picture from a Boeing brochure showing the Saturn V first stage dropping into the water in the inverted position, which would minimise damage to the engine bells.

[MartG]

There was a section about S-1C recovery in Kenneth Gatland's 'Frontiers of Space' book too

[Eric Mc]

That used to be on semi-permanent loan to me from my local library - about 40 years ago.

[MartG]

Me too - until I managed to get hold of my own copy ( and inherited a 2nd copy too :-) )

[Caruso]

This is great news. The article said they were focussing on making it cheaper and easier to manufacture.