SRB costs

I've given a little bit of thought to SRB costs for a presumed shuttle
derived vehicle (SDV). Given the contract info I found (Google is great), it
seems that costs per engine (fabrication, processing, refurbishing) amount
to about $40 million per engine. Also, what I've found seems to suggest that
NASA has ordered 240 SRBs to date (may not all have been manufactured, yet).
So, if SDV is built, I wonder if existing SRBs would be used and what the
cost would be of simply refurbishing what is there? Anyone have any wild
guesses?

Jon

An SRB is about the equivalent in technological sophistication as were
the Iraqi Atomic Weapons in operation Desert Storm. We have 100%
reliable rocket engines using the transverse turbopump technology that
the Russians invented in the late 80's..

Yeah, the Iraqi "atomic scientists" threw a piece of rusty pipe with
some gradiently geometric plastic esplosives ( a test device to see how
high explosives worked in a tightly closed environment to create
pressure zones..) Actually, they weren't even close to making a "shaped
charge".. I think they threw their "rusty research pipe" into the
Euphrates to avoid being embarassed later for their ignorance, rather
than trying to hide evidence of atomic research. Yet, it was dredged up
and GW proclaimed it a WMD because it looked so much like his rusted out
brain (which is a WMD, BTW)..

And the Iranians - with every super human brained person on the planet
helping them - are at least 10 years away from an atomic weapon of
extremely low yield.. So why will GW and ilk bomb Iran in Cocktober?

Hystirononic Synchronicity?

Who are the NAZI's now?

Looks like Germanic Jews rule the world - Like Cheney, Wolfowitz,
Kissinger, Franken..

Well, then there are the Irish Jews, but they're just in the background,
infuencing our young black African Jews to go over to the "Dark Side"

And then there are the Jews who just "crossed over" because they needed
some help in their small business or wished to "just join in the fun" of
being a persecuted minority with historical references.

Consider me the latter.

Sorry I joined late. Uhn, If the USA craps a bunker bustah into the
deep zone of Iran's "secret labrotorial tissues" without first giving
some foreplay with tongue and fingers - the whole world is going to
ignite into salacious sexual jokes and then the rich will light
themselves on fire, because they alone know the advanced dire straights
all human lives are lived within.

Ah'm Faihntn'!

*BONK*

Yeah, I got East Coast Crapper ready to buid a combined recoverable ET
and three twist off recoverable motors seperably recoverable and ready
to go again in 4 days.e

The saddest part of this **** is that we have to life an aluminum hulled
re-entry vehicle that has killed because it is aluminum bulkheaded and
exists without a crew titanium pit shielded against forward breakup to
this day..j

Mars fossil, Mars pyramid? NASA engineers are afraid to pee without
"CIA WATCHERS" just can't get promoted..

SADJEWSEES..


RICK





Jon S. Berndt wrote:
I've given a little bit of thought to SRB costs for a presumed shuttle
derived vehicle (SDV). Given the contract info I found (Google is great), it
seems that costs per engine (fabrication, processing, refurbishing) amount
to about $40 million per engine. Also, what I've found seems to suggest that
NASA has ordered 240 SRBs to date (may not all have been manufactured, yet).
So, if SDV is built, I wonder if existing SRBs would be used and what the
cost would be of simply refurbishing what is there? Anyone have any wild
guesses?

Jon

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 18:37:34 -0500, Jon S. Berndt wrote
(in article ):

I've given a little bit of thought to SRB costs for a presumed shuttle
derived vehicle (SDV). Given the contract info I found (Google is great), it
seems that costs per engine (fabrication, processing, refurbishing) amount
to about $40 million per engine. Also, what I've found seems to suggest that
NASA has ordered 240 SRBs to date (may not all have been manufactured, yet).
So, if SDV is built, I wonder if existing SRBs would be used and what the
cost would be of simply refurbishing what is there? Anyone have any wild
guesses?

Jon



Before we come up with a realistic appraisal we would have to know
whether 5-segment SRBs end up being selected for the design baseline,
wouldn't we?

--
"Fame may be fleeting but obscurity is forever." ~Anonymous
"I believe as little as possible and know as much as I can."
~Todd Stuart Phillips
www.angryherb.net

"Herb Schaltegger" wrote in
message


Before we come up with a realistic appraisal we would have to know
whether 5-segment SRBs end up being selected for the design baseline,
wouldn't we?

Oh, yeah. Forgot about that. Assume regular, not premium. :-)

Jon

"Jon S. Berndt" jsb.at.hal-pc-dot.org wrote in message
news:430bc9f0$0$10626

"Herb Schaltegger" wrote in

Before we come up with a realistic appraisal we would have to know
whether 5-segment SRBs end up being selected for the design baseline,
wouldn't we?

Oh, yeah. Forgot about that. Assume regular, not premium. :-)

Jon

Also, I'm wondering if "... Thiokol will produce and refurbish 35 Reusable
Solid Rocket Motor flight sets (70 motors) and three flight support motors."
means 35 complete and new motors, or if it is more like a "subscription",
where there may only be 15 motors, but some are refurbished to supply a
total of 35 "logical" sets. Is that clear? :-)

(See: http://www.msfc.nasa.gov/news/news/r...02/02-164.html)

Jon

I'm just confused now. Are we saying that it actually costs that amount to
make a set, or are we saying they will not reuse them? Where is the high
cost in reuse?

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Jon S. Berndt" jsb.at.hal-pc-dot.org wrote in message
...
"Jon S. Berndt" jsb.at.hal-pc-dot.org wrote in message
news:430bc9f0$0$10626

"Herb Schaltegger" wrote in

Before we come up with a realistic appraisal we would have to know
whether 5-segment SRBs end up being selected for the design baseline,
wouldn't we?

Oh, yeah. Forgot about that. Assume regular, not premium. :-)

Jon

Also, I'm wondering if "... Thiokol will produce and refurbish 35 Reusable
Solid Rocket Motor flight sets (70 motors) and three flight support
motors."
means 35 complete and new motors, or if it is more like a "subscription",
where there may only be 15 motors, but some are refurbished to supply a
total of 35 "logical" sets. Is that clear? :-)

(See: http://www.msfc.nasa.gov/news/news/r...02/02-164.html)

Jon

"Brian Gaff" wrote:

I'm just confused now. Are we saying that it actually costs that amount
to
make a set, or are we saying they will not reuse them?

No, we're not "saying" that, I'm asking that! :-)

I didn't think that the statement on the web site I linked to was clear on
that detail.

Ultimately, what I am wondering is since it seems that an inline
five-segment SRB is going to be used for at least the heavy lift needs
post-shuttle, will there be some savings due to lots of "flight-certified"
SRB segments available, without need to manufacture new ones? Or, will these
SRBs cost the same as now? What will the "re-certification" (or whatever)
requirements be for refurbished boosters, given they would be used for cargo
only (in this application)?

Jon

On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 07:09:57 -0500, Jon S. Berndt wrote
(in article ):

"Brian Gaff" wrote:

I'm just confused now. Are we saying that it actually costs that amount
to
make a set, or are we saying they will not reuse them?

No, we're not "saying" that, I'm asking that! :-)

I didn't think that the statement on the web site I linked to was clear on
that detail.

Ultimately, what I am wondering is since it seems that an inline
five-segment SRB is going to be used for at least the heavy lift needs
post-shuttle, will there be some savings due to lots of "flight-certified"
SRB segments available, without need to manufacture new ones? Or, will these
SRBs cost the same as now? What will the "re-certification" (or whatever)
requirements be for refurbished boosters, given they would be used for cargo
only (in this application)?

Jon




I didn't snip anything in your reply, Jon, because I agree with all of
it. These questions are key to determining how much any SDV will
actually end up costing. I'm also wondering if the 5-segment SRBs can
be stacked using current SRB segments or are loads, etc., sufficiently
different such that each 5-segment SRB must be constructed of segments
designed/built specifically for use in a 5-segment stack? That is
something else that would be good to know in this analysis. I'm sure
Lowther could tell us but since I've killfiled him due to anti-social
behavior, someone will have to let me know what he says. :-)

--
"Fame may be fleeting but obscurity is forever." ~Anonymous
"I believe as little as possible and know as much as I can."
~Todd Stuart Phillips
www.angryherb.net

Jon S. Berndt wrote:
"Herb Schaltegger" wrote in
message


Before we come up with a realistic appraisal we would have to know
whether 5-segment SRBs end up being selected for the design baseline,
wouldn't we?

Oh, yeah. Forgot about that. Assume regular, not premium. :-)

http://www.aiaa.org/aerospace/images/articleimages/pdf/iannottajune04.pdf

"Because of the Challenger explosion in 1986, some NASA officials would
like to discontinue the use of solid rocket motors for the CEV
launcher."

Challenger's Ghost

And of course, the propellant loading is not the same all the way through
the booster is it, so presumably, that will need to be done differently as
well.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Herb Schaltegger" wrote in
message .com...
On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 07:09:57 -0500, Jon S. Berndt wrote
(in article ):

"Brian Gaff" wrote:

I'm just confused now. Are we saying that it actually costs that amount
to
make a set, or are we saying they will not reuse them?

No, we're not "saying" that, I'm asking that! :-)

I didn't think that the statement on the web site I linked to was clear
on
that detail.

Ultimately, what I am wondering is since it seems that an inline
five-segment SRB is going to be used for at least the heavy lift needs
post-shuttle, will there be some savings due to lots of
"flight-certified"
SRB segments available, without need to manufacture new ones? Or, will
these
SRBs cost the same as now? What will the "re-certification" (or whatever)
requirements be for refurbished boosters, given they would be used for
cargo
only (in this application)?

Jon




I didn't snip anything in your reply, Jon, because I agree with all of
it. These questions are key to determining how much any SDV will
actually end up costing. I'm also wondering if the 5-segment SRBs can
be stacked using current SRB segments or are loads, etc., sufficiently
different such that each 5-segment SRB must be constructed of segments
designed/built specifically for use in a 5-segment stack? That is
something else that would be good to know in this analysis. I'm sure
Lowther could tell us but since I've killfiled him due to anti-social
behavior, someone will have to let me know what he says. :-)

--
"Fame may be fleeting but obscurity is forever." ~Anonymous
"I believe as little as possible and know as much as I can."
~Todd Stuart Phillips
www.angryherb.net