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Rocket Engine, Liquid Fuel, Apollo Lunar Module Descent Engine

National Air and Space Museum

Object Details

Manufacturer
Space Technology Laboratories (STL)
Summary
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.
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Inventory Number
A19720824000
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
PROPULSION-Rocket Engines
Materials
Nozzle, phenolic ablative liner; propellant lines, stainless steel; valves, stainless steel; injector, aluminum.
Dimensions
3-D: 147.3 × 236.2cm, 204.6kg (4 ft. 10 in. × 7 ft. 9 in., 451lb.)
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_A19720824000
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9b15f9c60-7e83-43c3-9888-1d29def6fcf8

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This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer
Black, metal, bell-shaped nozzle with electrical wires and control unit on top
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Black, metal, bell-shaped nozzle with electrical wires and control unit on top. Apollo Lunar Module Ascent Engine is hanging in the museum.

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