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This is a cutaway mockup of the solid fuel Retro Motor for the Surveyor spacecraft, the first U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on the surface of the Moon. The Retro was a high performance motor to decelerate the Surveyor spacecraft as it approached the lunar surface.

The Retro was developed by the Elkton, Maryland, Division of the Thiokol Chemical Corporation. The average thrust was about 8,400 pounds. Surveyor 1 was launched in 1966 and Surveyor 7, the last in the series, was launched 1968. Images and data gathered by the Surveyors aided the coming manned Apollo lunar exploration missions. This model was donated to the Smithsonian in 1976 by Thiokol.

 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 PROPULSION-Rocket Engines Manufacturer Thiokol Chemical Corporation
 Dimensions 3-D: 85.1 × 88.9 × 149.9cm, 211.4kg (2 ft. 9 1/2 in. × 2 ft. 11 in. × 4 ft. 11 in., 466lb.)
 Materials Non-Magnetic White Metal
Phenolic Resin
Ferrous Alloy
Paint
Plastic
Adhesive
 Inventory Number A19761827000 Credit Line Thiokol Chemical Corporation, Elkton, Md. Division Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.