An Introduction To Space Archaeology – Lisa Westwood

This massive facility was used in 1966 and 1967 for ground vibra- tion testing of the Saturn V launch vehicle and the Apollo spacecraft (Westwood et al., 2018) (Figure 3.4). It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The Dynamic Test Support Facility (Building 4551) and associated Advanced Propulsion and Structural Test Facility have been at the forefront of developing and testing advanced propulsion systems.

In the 1960s, guided by Werner von Braun, this facility was instrumental in the development of the Saturn family of launch vehicles. It supported testing for the Saturn S-1B vehicle and the F-1 engine used in the Saturn 1-C vehicle for the Apollo program. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. Figure 3.4 Saturn V Dynamic Test Vehicle assembled for Configuration I testing in Dynamic Test Stand (Cooper/NASA/Public Domain).

Space Archaeology on Earth 71 The Redstone Test Stand was constructed in 1953 and is the oldest static-firing facility now located at MSFC. It was originally built by the Army’s Ordnance Guided Missile Center using salvaged materials for testing full-launch vehicles – rather than just engines. Between 1953 and 1961, it was used for static tests of rockets including the Redstone missile, Jupiter-C, Juno I, and Mercury-Redstone, and contributed to milestones such as the first US satellite (Explorer I) and the first American suborbital flights.

It was also listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1985. In 2025, faced with years of neglect, NASA decided to demolish three of the four National Historic Landmarks at MSFC (the Neutral Buoyancy Space Simulator, Saturn V Dynamic Test Facility, and Dynamic Test Support Facility and associated Advanced Propulsion and Structural Test Facility) in order to accommodate the reuse of the facility for other purposes.

Prior to demolition, NASA has agreed to complete exten- sive documentation for public interpretation. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, United States As described in Chapter 2, the JPL traces its roots to the 1930s when California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Professor Theodore von Kármán, alongside his pioneering work in rocket propulsion, led to the establishment of the lab. Initially conducting experiments in rocket propulsion, JPL’s early activities moved off-campus to Arroyo Seco in Pasadena, California. The lab’s first tests of an alcohol-fueled rocket motor occurred in October 1936.

As the lab’s capabilities expanded, von Kármán, serving as a scientific advisor to the US Army Air Corps, secured funding for the development of jets mounted on propeller planes.

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