[Campion]

Building another Saturn V would be like starting up a production line to build '57 Chevys. We don't build cars that way anymore, they don't work that way anymore, etc.

All of the hundreds of holes in the combustion chamber baseplates in the Saturn V's F1 first stage engines were drilled by hand using a drill press! Can you imagine building something like that, that way, now?

Just going from open-cycle, gas generator engines (which the Saturn V used) to closed-cycle, staged combustion engines (like the Russian RD-180, the BE-4, Merlin, Shuttle, etc.) is a terrific improvement in efficiency. Improved engine efficiency means you can lift more payload with the same rocket. It's a big deal.

[a fool in paradise]

>>All of the hundreds of holes in the combustion chamber baseplates in the Saturn V’s F1 first stage engines were drilled by hand using a drill press! Can you imagine building something like that, that way, now?

imagine that. the space station was drilled by hand too.

[a fool in paradise]

here’s an idea, we’ll 3d print a model of Elon Musk’s c&ck because that is what the fanboys want and let it orbit the sun.