[Frank_Discussion]

I work in Logistics and Maintenance, dude. We have to find alternate sources ALL THE TIME. MY POINT is that you will either have to specify parts for a new design or RE-specify for a completed design. It's the same damn thing, except most of the retooled Saturn design is complete.

The only big design hit (and not as big as back in the 1960's) is the re-design of the electronics subsystems, which we would want to upgrade. The next biggest would be the dozen engineers running down the appropriate substitute parts we're talking about. Otherwise, the design of the structure, the jigs, etc. will allow for almost immediate fabrication.

[XBob]

113 - "I work in Logistics and Maintenance, dude. "

In what?

It's sort of hard to get a factory to gear up for production of qty - 3ea highly specialized, obsolete parts, with no past or future demand. And then, trying to get them into the production schedule within a year or two is another problem.

So, what you end up with is a part, which originally cost 3 cents, costing $25,000 and taking 2 years to produce.