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Your comment reminded me of an article about another massive manual-engineering feat: the F1 engines powering the Saturn V rocket. Just the amount of hand-weldi

Your comment reminded me of an article about another massive manual-engineering feat: the F1 engines powering the Saturn V rocket. Just the amount of hand-welding alone is phenomenal. https://arstechnica.com/science/2013/04/how-nasa-brought-the-monstrous-f-1-moon-rocket-back-to-life/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2013/04/how-nasa-brought-the...

Sakos 4y ago
That article has such Asimov's Foundation vibes. Maybe it's just me. The amount of effort going into refurbishing old technology instead of designing something new reminds me of that decrepit old Empire that's reliant on technology designed and built thousands of years ago and all the knowledge being lost.
- benibela 4y ago
  That also reminds me of Vernor Vinge's A Deepness in the Sky
- Spooky23 4y ago
  It’s weird for sure. The number of important things that people don’t understand is always surprising although it’s very common. Early in my career I had an “Asimov moment” firsthand - I was an intern working on a project to instrument an industrial facility with better sensors, etc. The whole place was dependent on a 100 year old machine that just did its thing every day with only minor maintenance and repairs. (I think the power source has been swapped out a few times) The manufacturer was long defunct and the plan was to keep the thing running indefinitely. Pretty sure it’s still there!
NikolaNovak 4y ago
Amazing article - I don't know why but I just gulp everything I can about Apollo and related programmes, and that article was fascinating :-)
pjmorris 4y ago
There is a great chapter on the F1's engineering and development in 'Apollo: Race To The Moon', Murray and Cox. The whole book focuses on the engineering and management challenges involved in putting a man on the moon and returning him safely in one decade.

3 ms·

Your comment reminded me of an article about another massive manual-engineering feat: the F1 engines powering the Saturn V rocket. Just the amount of hand-weldi

by turtledragonfly 4y ago

Sakos 4y ago
That article has such Asimov's Foundation vibes. Maybe it's just me. The amount of effort going into refurbishing old technology instead of designing something new reminds me of that decrepit old Empire that's reliant on technology designed and built thousands of years ago and all the knowledge being lost.
- benibela 4y ago
  That also reminds me of Vernor Vinge's A Deepness in the Sky
- Spooky23 4y ago
  It’s weird for sure. The number of important things that people don’t understand is always surprising although it’s very common. Early in my career I had an “Asimov moment” firsthand - I was an intern working on a project to instrument an industrial facility with better sensors, etc. The whole place was dependent on a 100 year old machine that just did its thing every day with only minor maintenance and repairs. (I think the power source has been swapped out a few times) The manufacturer was long defunct and the plan was to keep the thing running indefinitely. Pretty sure it’s still there!
NikolaNovak 4y ago
Amazing article - I don't know why but I just gulp everything I can about Apollo and related programmes, and that article was fascinating :-)
pjmorris 4y ago
There is a great chapter on the F1's engineering and development in 'Apollo: Race To The Moon', Murray and Cox. The whole book focuses on the engineering and management challenges involved in putting a man on the moon and returning him safely in one decade.