This is a gas supply tank that was tested to failure (2230psi) in laboratory burst tests. The cylinder is similar to that used for radiation detectors flown on the Naval Research Laboratory instrument aboard the High Energy Astronomical Observatory (HEAO). The detectors in this satellite included gas gain ionization chambers probably fed by a common gas source such as this one. This artifact is part of a collection of high energy detectors from the Naval Research Laboratory (see A19880001000-19880017000).
It was transferred to NASM in 1987 and is currently stored at the Garber facility.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.