pyle@ut-ngp.UUCP (05/10/84)
The often heard phrase "104 percent thrust" refers to 104% of the engines'
RATED or design thrust. That is, the engine is designed to produce a given
thrust for a given time before major overhaul. In the case of the Shuttle
Main Engines, the engines are designed to produce a higher than rated
thrust but at the sacrifice of time between repairs and/or failures.
An analogy is that automobiles are designed for typical driving with
maximum speeds on the order of 55 MPH (at least in theory, they are).
You can choose to drive at higher speeds but the vehicle will require
more maintenance or it won't last as long due to the increased wear.
Keith Pyle
UUCP: . . .{ihnp4,seismo,ctvax,kpno,gatech}!ut-sally!ut-ngp!pyle
ARPA: pyle@ut-ngp