The first flight configuration of the giant Saturn C-1 rocket is seen at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, N.A.S.A. Huntsville, Ala. The C-1 will be capable of placing about 10 tons into low earth orbit.
A Saturn booster is shown in position on its static test tower at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. The 1,500,000 lb. thrust booster has been successfully static fired in full duration runs of more than 120 seconds. A Juno II rocket which launched first U. S. Satellites and Space probes is shown on the right side of tower.
A one-tenth scale model of the Saturn Space vehicle is shown here behind a "real" Saturn booster at the assembly area of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama. The big booster is capable of developing 1.5 million pounds thrust, An assembled vehicle stands 162 feet high.
The vehicles that launched Explorer I and Astronauts Shepard and Grissom were tested here. This historic site is a part of the NASA Bus Tour operated by the ALABAMA SPACE AND ROCKET CENTER, Huntsville.
Moffett Field, Calif.—Significant advances in charting the details of super-sonic aerodynamics plus new transonic research techniques were revealed in the second biennial inspection of the Ames Memorial Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. More than 800 aircraft manufacturing executives and engineers plus top Tanking Air Force and Naval Aviation brass attended the two-day session.
A more distinct detailed picture of the aerodynamic phenomena encountered in the range between Mach .8 and Mach 2.0 has emerged as a result of the last year's NACA research in this previously undefined area. Most important advance of the year—the first piloted supersonic flights by USAF and NACA test pilots in the Bell X-1 rocket powered research plane—was significantly omitted from any of the discussions.
► Sweep vs Straight—Perhaps the most interesting delineation offered by the NACA researchers was the assignment of proper places to swept back and straight wings in the supersonic picture.
The supersonic flights of the X-1 proved it is possible to achieve these speeds with extremely thin, straight wings. But wind tunnel research and flight test data indicate that the swept back wing still offers the most promising possibilities in the transonic range between Mach. 0.8 and about Mach 1.8.
In this area the sweep back of the wing delays the formation of shock waves across the wing allowing a subsonic airflow over the wing while the aircraft is travelling at supersonic speeds.
At about Mach 1.8 the shock waves catch up with the swept back wing and send drag soaring beyond the capabilities of any power plants that are likely to be available in the foreseeable future.
A straight wing encounters shock waves below Mach 1.0. Above Mach 1.8 the straight wing becomes more efficient than the swept back wing.
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Aviation Week | July 26, 1948
California Research Laboratory: Air view of Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, West Coast research center of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The $23,000,000 plant occupies part of the Navy's Moffett Field at the lower end of San Francisco Bay. Principal peacetime work at Ames will be basic research in high-speed aerodynamics. Shown above are (1) administration building, (2) science laboratory, (3) technical service building, (4) 40- by 80-ft. wind tunnel, (5) power substation, (6) 12-ft. pressure wind tunnel, (7) utilities building, (8) 16-ft. high-speed wind tun-nel, (9) 1- by 3-ft. supersonic speed wind tunnel, (10) 7- by 10-ft. wind tunnel No. 1, (11) model finishing shop, (12) 7- by 10-ft. wind tunnel No. 2, (13) flight research laboratory, (14) plane hangar and shop (under construction).
APOLLO 9 EVA—Astronaut Schweickart took this photo from the porch of the "Spider" of Astronaut Scott standing in the open hatch of the Command Module "Gumdrop." Inside the "Spider" was Astronaut James A. McDivitt.
Full size model of Apollo Command Module on display at, Visitors Information Center. Kennedy Space Center. Note size comparison to Explorer 1.
Scientist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt working beside a huge boulder at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The front portion of the Lunar Roving Vehicle is visible on the left.
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