Object Details
- Manufacturer
- Avco Corportation
- Summary
- This is the flown RVX 1-5 reentry vehicle, built by General Electric for the U.S. Air Force and the first reentry vehicle recovered by the United States after an intercontinental-range flight. Launched on 8 April 1959 atop a Thor-Able rocket from Cape Canaveral, it was recovered in the South Atlantic after a down-range flight of 10,180 km (6,325 miles), during which it reached temperatures above 12,000 F. Instruments within the RVX 1-5 and the nose cap, which was protected by special Avcoite heat-shielding material, provided valuable scientific data to the Air Force. The nose cap at the tip of the vehicle is a mock-up, as the flown one was removed for testing and was acquired separately by NASM in 1963. This RVX 1-5 was donated by the Air Force in 1960.
- Credit Line
- Transferred from the United States Air Force.
- Inventory Number
- A19610021000
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- CRAFT-Missile & Rocket Parts
- Materials
- Wood
- Paint
- Plastic
- Non-Magnetic Metal Alloy
- Iron Alloy
- Synthetic Fabric
- Unknown Coating/Tar
- Copper Alloy
- Possible Cadmium Plating
- Dimensions
- Storage (On original display stand with one other object): 153.7 × 240 × 165.1cm (60 1/2 × 94 1/2 × 65 in.)
- 3-D: 172.7 × 162.6 × 69.9cm (68 × 64 × 27 1/2 in.)
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- National Air and Space Museum
- Record ID
- nasm_A19610021000
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv967624888-5464-4590-9c64-ea0f59c72eae
