This is a Descent Engine designed by Space Technology Laboratories as used on the Project Apollo Lunar Excursion Module (LM) to land on the Moon. The engine could be throttled between 1,000 and 10,000 pounds of thrust and was also the first gimballed and throttable rocket engine used on a spacecraft.
The engine shown here is an early developmental model dating to 1966. During the Apollo lunar missions from 1969-1972, there were no problems with the Descent Engine, although on the Apollo 13 mission, no Moon landing was made and the Descent Engine served another purpose, that of taking the craft out of lunar orbit and back home. The engine was donated to the Smithsonian in 1972 by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
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
Space Technology Laboratories (STL)
Dimensions
3-D: 147.3 × 236.2cm, 204.6kg (4 ft. 10 in. × 7 ft. 9 in., 451lb.)
Materials
Nozzle, phenolic ablative liner; propellant lines, stainless steel; valves, stainless steel; injector, aluminum.
Inventory Number
A19720824000
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Open Access (CCO)
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.