WHAT IS CLAIMED TO BE THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL ROCKET ENGINE ARRIVED AT THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) CENTRE AT HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, LAST WEEK.

IT WAS FLOWN IN FROM THE MANUFACTURERS IN CALIFORNIA BY A SPECIALLY MODIFIED BOEING 377 TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT.

THE ENGINE, KNOWN AS THE F-1, IS THE FIRST PRODUCTION MODEL.IT WEIGHS MORE THAN 10 TONS AND DEVELOPS 1 1/2 MILLION POUNDS OF THRUST.FIVE SUCH ENGINES WILL ONE DAY PROVIDE 7.5 MILLION POUNDS OF THRUST (ABOUT 160 MILLION HORSEPOWER) FOR THE FIRST STAGE OF THE SATURN V APOLLO MOON ROCKET.

AT THE SPACE CENTRE THE F-1 WILL UNDERGO FURTHER GROUND TESTING AND BE USED FOR TRAINING PERSONNEL IN HANDLING AND OPERATION.FURTHER ENGINES DELIVERED THIS YEAR WILL BE USED FOR THE SAME PURPOSE.DELIVERY CONTINUE INTO 1966.

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE F-1 HAS BEEN UNDERWAY SINCE JANUARY, 1959.DELIVERY OF SIMILAR ENGINES, UNDER A PRODUCTION CONTRACT AWARDED LAST YEAR, WILL CONTINUE INTO 1966.

THE FIRST PRODUCTION MODEL OF ANOTHER ROCKET ENGINE, THE HYDROGEN-FUELLED J-2, WHICH WILL COMPRISE THE SECOND AND THIRD STAGE OF THE SATURN V.WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CENTRE LATER THIS YEAR.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SATURN ENGINES FOR THE APOLLO MOON PROJECT IS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE HUNTSVILLE SPACE CENTRE.