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Re:Gene Cernan has died by eltoozero on Monday January 16, 2017 @06:44PM (#13414072)
True enough, and new info to me!

Saturn V remains the tallest, heaviest, and most powerful (highest total impulse) rocket ever brought to operational status, and holds records for the heaviest payload launched and largest payload capacity to low Earth orbit (LEO) of 140,000 kg (310,000 lb).

To date, the Saturn V remains the only launch vehicle to launch missions to carry humans beyond low Earth orbit. A total of 15 flight-capable vehicles were built, but only 13 were flown. An additional three vehicles were built for ground testing purposes. [0]

So why aren't we just building more of these damn things and iterating on the (proven!) design? While we're at it let's un-mothball the SR-71 and those wicked Buick start carts! [1]

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_V [1]: http://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/startercart.php

Re:Gene Cernan has died by Aloha on Monday January 16, 2017 @08:25PM (#13414489)
I'd have to dig around to find the source - but honestly, its because we dont have good drawings, or even partially complete understanding on how to build the pieces. The Saturn V was not mass produced, and was built on something less then an assembly line - it was semi-bespoke basically.
Re:Gene Cernan has died by Gracana on Monday January 16, 2017 @08:48PM (#13414553)
On a related note, ars technica has an absolutely fantastic article on reverse engineering and re-building the Saturn V.

http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/04/how-nasa-brought-the-...

Re:Gene Cernan has died by jahnu on Tuesday January 17, 2017 @03:39AM (#13415938)
Perhaps it would be orders of magnitude more expensive to make it now? At least compared to the rockets we currently need and build regularly for LEO and so on.