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This is the Redstone rocket engine and was the U.S.'s first operational large-scale rocket engine. Development began in 1950 by North American Aviation. The engine used liquid oxygen and alcohol and developed 75,000 pounds of thrust.
On January 31, 1958, a modified Redstone rocket called the Jupiter-C, using more powerful fuel, launched Explorer 1, the first successful U.S. satellite, into orbit. On May 5, 1961, a Redstone launched Alan B. Shepard, the first American astronaut into space. The Redstone was the forerunner of other important large-scale U.S. engines, including those for the Thor, Jupiter, and Atlas missiles, the Saturn V launch vehicle, and the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). This object was donated to the Smithsonian in 1991 by the U.S. Army.
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
PROPULSION-Rocket Engines
Manufacturer
Rocketdyne Division, Rockwell International Dimensions
Other (outer): 2 ft. 8 in. diameter x 10 ft. 9 in. long x 4 ft. 1 in. wide (81.3 x 327.7 x 124.5cm) Materials
Combustion chamber, injectors, and some tubing, 4130 steel; propellant lines, pumps, impellers, and valves, aluminum alloys including heat exchanger; harness manifold and other parts, steel. Alternate Name
Redstone Missile Rocket Engine
Inventory Number
A19910078000
Credit Line
Transferred from the U.S. Army.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
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For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.
