Moonshot, CEV Modifications

DarkNemesis618 writes "In the latest round of budget cuts, NASA introduced plans to modify the CEV for the planned Moon landing in 2018. The original plan called for an engine used on the space shuttle to be modified for the CEV. The new plan is to use an updated J-2 engine. The J-2 engine was first used on the Saturn V rocket which took the Apollo astronauts to the moon in the late 60's early 70's. It is not expected to save any money in the near-term, but in the far term, it should be a cost saver since the technology already exists and is proven. In the 10 Apollo launches aboard the Saturn V rocket, there were no problems with the launch vehicle."

Headlines in 2020

[j_cavera]

I can see this one coming:

In the latest round of budget cuts, NASA introduced plans to modify the CEV for the planned Moon landing in 2038. The original plan called for an updated J-2 engine first used on the Saturn V rocket. The new plan is to have a guy sitting on the outside with a fire extinguisher. The fire extinguisher engine was first used in a high-school physics lab in the 1930s. It is not expected to save any money in the near-term, but in the far term, it should be a cost saver since the technology already exists and is proven.

- Jim

And yes, I AM a rocket scientist...