Object Details
Manufacturer
Rocketdyne Div., North American Rockwell
Summary
The F-1 engine was the powerhouse of the first stage of the Saturn V rocket that launched the Apollo lunar missions. An injector plate sat at the top of each F-1 engine. Holes across the plate’s surface forced the engine’s propellants (liquid oxygen and kerosene) into the combustion chamber. Early F-1 test engines experienced combustion instability, which could lead to engine loss. The instability was solved by the addition of baffles (dividers) across the injector plate's surface.
This injector plate was part of an F-1 engine for the Apollo 11 Saturn V. Around 2.5 minutes after launch, the first stage was jettisoned and fell into the Atlantic Ocean. In 2013, F-1 components were recovered from the ocean floor by Bezos Expeditions. Its twisted baffles show the force of the water impact.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration transferred the injector plate to the National Air and Space Museum in 2016.
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Date
1969
Inventory Number
A20160018000
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
PROPULSION-Components (Engine Parts)
Materials
CRES Steel, copper, undentified metals, Teflon, Inconel
Dimensions
Approximate: 19 × 134.6cm, 544.3kg (7 1/2 in. × 4 ft. 5 in., 1200lb.)
Support: 50.8 × 146 × 134.6cm, 574.3kg (1 ft. 8 in. × 4 ft. 9 1/2 in. × 4 ft. 5 in., 1266lb.)
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
Destination Moon
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nasm_A20160018000