Rocket Engine, Liquid Fuel, Nike-Ajax
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Object Details
- Manufacturer
- Aerojet General Corp.
- Summary
- This liquid propellant rocket engine of the Nike-Ajax, built by the Aerojet General Corporatoin, is the U.S.'s first operational surface-to-air missile. The missile used a solid propellant booster and liquid propellant second stage. The liquid sustainer engine produced 2,600 pounds of thrust for about 20 seconds. It used red fuming nitric acid and JP-4, a type of jet fuel, as its propellants. It was a very simple system with no moving parts for ease in operation and high reliability.
- The propellants were forced into the combustion chamber by compressed air. Development of the engine was begun in late 1945 by Aerojet-General and the missile became operational in 1953 and remained in service until 1963. This object was donated to the Smithsonian in 1968 by the Aerojet General Corp.
- Credit Line
- Gift of Aerojet General Corp.
- Inventory Number
- A19680547000
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- PROPULSION-Rocket Engines
- Materials
- Stainless steel; aluminum caps on two inlet lines; black inside of nozzle, probably a ceramic, heat-resistant liner.
- Dimensions
- Overall: 8 3/4 in. wide x 1 ft. 10 in. long x 6 1/2 in. diameter, 22 lb. (22.23 x 55.88 x 16.51cm, 10kg)
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- Location
- Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
- Exhibit Station
- Rockets & Missiles
- National Air and Space Museum
- Record ID
- nasm_A19680547000
- Metadata Usage (text)
- Not determined
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9a0c6543b-f371-4226-8906-660a6fecbc82
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