American rocket pioneer Robert Goddard (1882-1945) used this device between 1924 and 1928 in his experiments to determine the feasibility of ion propulsion for space travel. Ion engines, in which electrically charged particles of atoms are discharged, produce extremely high exhaust velocities. Experiments in space with ion propulsion first took place in 1964.
This device may have been made by one of Goddard's graduate students, Louis M. Sleeper. According to 1964 observations by Russell B. Hastings, a former graduate student who helped Goddard in his ion experiments, "this T-shaped glass is broken from the ion collector…" Mrs. Goddard gave this artifact to the Smithsonian in 1965 as part of a set of laboratory glassware from her husband's pioneering ion-propulsion experiments.
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
Date
ca. 1924-1928
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
PROPULSION-Miscellaneous
Manufacturer
Dr. Robert H. Goddard
Dimensions
Overall: 10in. x 9 1/8in. x 1/2in. (25.4 x 23.18 x 1.27cm)
Materials
Glass, Steel, Unknown White Powdery Substance
Inventory Number
A19650298000
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Robert Goddard
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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