Country of Origin: United States of America
Dimensions:
Approximate: 50.8 x 93.98 x 99.06cm (1ft 8in. x 3ft 1in. x 3ft 3in.) (as photographed)
Storage: 105.41 x 60.96 x 106.68cm (3ft 5 1/2in. x 2ft x 3ft 6in.)
Materials:
Aluminum, Cadmium Plating, Teflon, Steel, Brass, Plastic, Paint
Rubber (Silicone)
“Klystron” is the generic name for the power amplifiers developed for use in radar and microwave devices. This was the first 100 kW Klystron ever built, a considerable technical accomplishment in itself. It was used to bounce radar beams off of the planet Venus and was able to track the planet around the Sun. The smaller 10kW Klystron could only be used when Venus approached near the Earth. The 100 kW Klystron was also used in the first radar exploration of the planet Mars. The 100 kW Klystron added significantly to our knowledge of the orbits of Venus and Mars.
The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory transferred this object to the Museum in 1984.
Transferred from Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California
