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Rocket Engine, Liquid Fuel, XLR-91, Second Stage, Titan I Missile

National Air and Space Museum

Object Details

Manufacturer
Aerojet General Corp.
Summary
The LR91 was the second stage engine for the two-stage Titan I, which was a U.S. Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Titan I was conceived in 1954 to close the "missile gap" between the U.S. and Soviet Union. Although the Atlas ICBM was already under development, the USAF authorized Titan as a backup.
Developed by Aerojet-General, the LR91-AJ-1 engine produced 80,000 pounds of thrust and had a burn time of 160 seconds. Its propellants were liquid oxygen and RP-1, a type of kerosene. The LR91 featured a turbopump, a regeneratively-cooled thrust chamber assembly, and an asbestos-based ablative skirt. LR91 testing began in 1956.
The first successful flight of Titan I was in 1959 from Cape Canaveral. It became operational in 1962 and was deployed in five U.S. states. Because Titan II was more advanced, Titan I was deactivated in 1965.
The U.S. Air Force transferred this engine to the Smithsonian in 1969.
Credit Line
Transferred from the U.S. Air Force
Inventory Number
A19721010000
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
PROPULSION-Rocket Engines
Materials
Aluminum, Steel, Fiberglass, Rubber (Silicone), Stainless Steel, Plastic, Paper, Paint, Magnesium, Adhesive
Dimensions
Overall: 4ft 8 1/2in. x 4ft 9in. x 5ft 9in. x 2ft 11 1/2in., 4700lb. (143.51 x 144.78 x 175.26 x 90.17cm, 2131.9kg)
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Exhibition
Nation of Speed
National Air and Space Museum
Record ID
nasm_A19721010000
Metadata Usage (text)
Not determined
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9bd92f846-69e9-4002-a5d2-ef3a94fd191e

Related Content

  • Nation of Speed

    Air and Space Museum
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use 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.
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