🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <19777@mindlink.bc.ca> Bruce_Dunn@mindlink.bc.ca (Bruce Dunn) writes:
|
|        The liquid hydrogen tank of the DC-X currently being built is
|insulated with balsa wood.  I saw a photo over the weekend - the speaker
|noted that they had to bring a worker out of retirement who had the necessary
|skills for bonding it to the metal.  Unless my eyes pulled a perspective
|trick, the photo showed the balsa on the ***inside*** of the tank.


I can believe that.  I believe in the Saturn,  The insualtionfor
the liquid hydrogen tank was on the inside.  Less heat loss that way,
except on one stage, I think it was the S-IV  where to save weight
they put the insulation outside the tank, because the cold made the
metal stronger, thus saving weight.

Someone who has the saturn tech ref will be able to post for sure.

pat