[wildranter]

Your statement is wrong is so many levels that's quite easy to tear it apart. Let's start by the meaning of the word progress. The second definition of the Ofxford Dictionary states: advance or development toward better, more complete, or more modern condition. According to that, in order to have progress made you've got to start somewhere. Another word for that would be engineering.

Anyway, I'd say researching a F1 engine is a great start point to progress towards the development of a newer rocket engine. Kudos to these guys!

[brg1007]

How about investing all this time in trying to develop alternative propulsion system? This will not be categorize as a progress from the traditional rocket propulsion ?

[cryptoz]

You're acting as though NASA announced that it will exclusively focus on last century technology. NASA is spending a lot more time and money focused on future rockets and spacecraft than they are on the F1. Check the article again: this is just a small team of junior engineers. Also, given that most of the people who build the moon rockets are dead, studying what they did is extremely important. It's like school: most of what you learned is old news, invented by people long dead. Better not spend any time learning about it, right?