These are sections of a hand wheel from Rocketdyne's Vertical Test Stand No. 1 (VTS-1) at its Santa Susana Field Laboratory in the Santa Susana Mountains, California. VTS-1 was an important site used by Rocketdyne and its predecessor from the 1950s for the testing the U.S.'s first large-scale liquid propellant rocket engines, starting with the Redstone missile engine. The wheel may have been used to open water tanks to cool down the stand after each firing.
The Redstone engine evolved into the engines for the Thor, Jupiter, and Atlas missiles, the engines for the Saturn V launch vehicle that took men to the Moon, and the Shuttle Main Engine.
This object was donated to the Smithsonian in 1996 by Rocketdyne.
Display Status
This object is on display in Rockets & Missiles at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
EQUIPMENT-Ground Control Apparatus
Manufacturer
Rocketdyne Division, Rockwell International
Dimensions
3-D: 1.9 x 40cm (3/4 x 15 3/4 in.)
Materials
Steel
Inventory Number
A20040134000
Credit Line
Gift of Rockwell International Corporation, Rocketdyne Division.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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