Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to I didn't know about the hightech scrapyard known as the "missile graveyard".

the "missile graveyard".
TB — (archived)

Don't know what's out there now, but when I was starting out in the private rocket business, you could find a surprising amount of decent space stuff in scrap and surplus facilites around the country.

Bob Truax used surplus Atlas vernier engines for his project to put a person into space (this was years before "SpaceShip One).

We used to have an old RL-10 engine, too, but used it primarily for design reference. Most really useful things like rocket engines and such were deliberately made useless by drilled holes and things before being put out to scrap. For security reasons, I suppose.

I seriously doubt that the government would let ANY flyable missile end up on the scrap heap.

A lot of our heavy-lifter designs involved surplus Russian engines--the NK-33 is quite reliable--and companies like Kistler are still using them.

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