[fsckboy]

>Could you imagine the unit cost today, if we kept building Saturn V in an iteratively improving process?... the efficiencies from mass production and weight savings from miniaturizing avionics

the Saturn Vs were hand-welded but large numbers of welders; we can't even build one today because there is no workforce of skilled welders remaining. And avionics I don't think contributed substantially to the Saturn V's weight.

I think SpaceX's iteratively improved process is what produces the capable affordable machine.