1 Images

Shown here is a rocket fuel handler's suit. Given that the insert on the back of the garment specifies that special care must be taken to avoid contact with both fuel and oxidizer, it is likely that the time period of its use dates from the 1950s or 1960s. During that time, all large-scale launch vehicles used liquid propellants, typically nitric acid and aniline, kerosene and liquid oxygen, and by the late 1960s, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. In these cases, fueling had to be completed just prior to launch. Super cooled temperatures and volatility--especially in the case of liquid hydrogen--required careful handling.

The manufacturer and donor are presently unknown.

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

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT-Miscellaneous

Dimensions

Height, 57 inches; width, 20 inches; width, with sleeves stretched out, 55 inches; width, each leg, 12 inches; width, each arm, 4.5 inches

Materials

Synthetic Rubber
Plastic
Aluminum
Non-Ferrous Metal
Elastic

Inventory Number

A20020257000

Credit Line

Found in collection. Donor unknown at this time. Found on NASM premises.

Data Source

National Air and Space Museum

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use.