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This is a cutaway of a nose cap, which was at the tip of the nose fairing of the U.S. Navy's Poseidon C-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile. Made from Sitka spruce wood and cork, the nose cap is bonded to an aluminum interior shell. During launch, the nose fairing and nose cap protected the reentry vehicle and its nuclear warheads housed inside from air friction temperatures approaching 1000 degrees. Explosive devices blew the nose fairing and nose cap off shortly after the missile entered space. Poseidon C-3s were deployed from 1971 into the early 1990s. Lockheed Missiles & Space Company made and donated this object to NASM.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type CRAFT-Missile & Rocket Parts Manufacturer Lockheed Missiles and Space Co.
 Dimensions Overall: 19.05 x 49.53cm (7 1/2in. x 1ft 7 1/2in.)
 Materials Cork
Aluminum
Wood
Adhesive
Ink
 Inventory Number A19731668003 Credit Line Gift of Lockheed Missiles & Space Company Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.