Historical Scientific Equipment

Vintage photographs of early scientific tools and protective gear used for rocket propulsion and astronomical research.

High angle view of a scientist working on a space probe in a laboratory, Pioneer V, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Dressed For Safety - Protected Against Liquid Rocket Propellants -- This unorthodox-looking protective clothing was designed by U.S. Air Material Command engineers to take the danger out of liquid rocket propellants for the men who must handle them. An outer shell of white mercerised cotton fits over a coverall and hood assembly made of vinyl-impregnated fiberglass. To avoid overheating, the outer shell can be saturated with water. Demand-type air breathing apparatus is used. April 19, 1951. (Ph

Vintage Photograph. Exterior view of the 200 inch Hale Telescope.

8X10 PLATE HOLDER ON 100-INCH TELESCOPE NEWTONIAN CAGE.

Pressure chambers.

A 20-inch diameter ramjet installed in the Altitude Wind Tunnel at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. The Altitude Wind Tunnel was used in the 1940s to study early ramjet configurations. Ramjets provide a very simple source of propulsion. They are basically a tube which takes in high-velocity air, ignites it, and then expels the expanded airflow at a significantly higher velocity for thrust. Ramjets are extremely efficient and powerful but can only operate at high speeds. Therefore a turbojet or rocket was needed to launch the vehicle. This NACA-designed 20-inch diameter ramjet was installed in the Altitude Wind Tunnel in May 1945. The ramjet was mounted under a section of wing in the 20-foot diameter test section with conditioned airflow ducted directly to the engine. The mechanic in this photograph was installing instrumentation devices that led to the control room. NACA researchers investigated the ramjets overall performance

Vintage Photograph. Man operating a 48-inch Schmidt Telescope.

High angle view of a scientist working on a space probe in a laboratory, Pioneer V, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Paris International Air Show 1953. Photographs of Marshall Plan Programs, Exhibits, and Personnel

Vintage Photograph. 2,000,000 X-Ray unit at the Hospital for Joint Disease.

Wind Tunnel Test of XV-8A Fleep Prototype

100-INCH TELESCOPE FROM THE WEST, TUBE LOWERED TO THE SOUTH, SHUTTER OPEN TO THE SOUTH.

100-INCH TELESCOPE SIDE VIEW WITH TUBE 40 DEGREES FROM HORIZONTAL. Hubble's chair visible at left.

NORTH PEDESTAL OF THE HOOKER TELESCOPE, ALSO SHOWING THE 10-TON CRANE USED IN THE ERECTION.

Concept model of the Lunar Excursion Module tested in the Full-Scale wind tunnel. -- Published in James R. Hansen, Spaceflight Revolution: NASA Langley Research Center From Sputnik to Apollo, (Washington: NASA, 1995), p. 356.-L69-670 Bell Lunar Landing Training Vehicle (LLTV): Following the crash of a sister Lunar Landing Training Vehicle at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, the LLTV NASA 952 was sent from Houston to Langley for tests in the 30 x 60 Full Scale Tunnel. The LLTV was returned to Houston for further training use a short time later. NASA 952 is now on exhibit at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

D723637 U12T DIAMOND SCULLS DIAGNOSTIC PIPE Martin (Project Engineer) Jul 12 72 EG&G/NTS PHOTO LAB Publication Date: 7/12/1972 DIAGNOSTIC; DIAMOND SCULLS TEST; EDGERTON, GERMESHAUSEN & GRIER; EG&G; NEVADA; NEVADA TEST SITE; NTS; NUCLEAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY; NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS; NUCLEAR TESTING; NUCLEAR TESTS; PIPES; TANKS; TEST SITES; UGT; UNDERGROUND TESTING; VESSEL; DIAGNOSTIC PIPE historical images. 1972 - 2012. Department of Energy. National Nuclear Security Administration. Photographs Related to Nuclear Weapons Testing at the Nevada Test Site.

DYER AT CASSEGRAIN FOCUS OF 100-INCH TELESCOPE, PEERING INTO EYEPIECE; SPECTROGRAPH IS ATTACHED TO TELESCOPE.

V 6078. Thule (depicted name)

Researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Vintage Photograph. Recovery capsule with parachute being added to Discoverer II

Anemometer for blast furnace examinations.

The shark (depicted - name).The shark (depicted - name)

Anefo photo collection. Minister Drees Jr. Opens Aviodome at Schiphol. July 10, 1971. Noord-Holland, Schiphol

The Saturn I S-I stage with eight H-1 engines, located in Marshall Space Flight Center building 4705, showing the positioning of eight H-1 engines. The Saturn I S-I stage had eight H-1 engines clustered, using liquid oxygen/kerosene-1 (LOX/RP-1) propellants capable of producing a total of 1,500,000 pounds of thrust.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Closeup view shows mated Viking Lander (top) and Orbiter in Kennedy Space Center Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility.

Engraving depicting Pierre Janssen (1824-1907) a French astronomer. Dated 19th Century

Vintage photograph. The sphere gap and the bus bar arrangements in High Voltage Laboratory, Queen Mary College, England

Mechanic Howard Wine inspects the setup of a spin isolator in Cell 2 of the Propulsion Systems Laboratory at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

30-FOOT SPECTROGRAPH IN 60-FOOT TOWER TELESCOPE, SHOWING NICOL & RHOMB IN POSITION.

FRANCIS PEASE LOOKING IN THE EYEPIECE OF THE 50-FOOT INTERFEROMETER.

MOUNTING DEVICE FOR NEWTONIAN SPECTROGRAPH ON 100-INCH TELESCOPE NEWTONIAN CAGE.

osservatorio astronomico in california, 1948

SPUTNIK I - PRIMERA NAVE EN ORBITA ALREDEDOR DE LA TIERRA - LANZADO EL 4-OCTUBRE-1957.

The first eclipse of the moon since 1946 took place last night and a clear, cloudless sky gave observers a perfect view. Right: Four stages of the eclipse: (top to bottom) 8.30 p.m., just before the eclipse began; 8.50 p.m., the first shadow begins to creep across the moon's face; 9.10 p.m., the eclipse half-completed; 9.25 p.m., approaching total eclipse. Left: Government Astronomer, Mr. H. W. Wood, makes a last-minute check on the astrographic telescope at Sydney Observatory which was used to photograph the eclipse. July 27, 1953.

Anefo photo collection. Movement movement in Stedelijk Museum Mr. Sandberg. March 9, 1961

S66-21296 (1967) --- This is a medium exterior view of the Dynamic Crew Procedures Trainer, Command Module configuration, one of the Apollo astronaut training components located in the Mission Simulation and Training Facility, Building 5, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas.

Low-speed model of aircraft Saab 105 in Wind Tunnel Low-speed model of aircraft Saab 105 in wind tunnel on the aeronic experimentation center. A man hangs up the model.

Vintage Photograph. Children looking at the 45 foot Viking Rocket

Bamberg astronomical transit. In use 1914 - 1960. Used for both latitude and longitude observations

Astronaut Eugene Cernan at Lunar Lander Research Facility. Cernan under gantry, in training module. Captain Cernan was one of fourteen astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963. On his second space flight, he was lunar module pilot of Apollo 10, May 18-26, 1969, the first comprehensive lunar-orbitalqualification and verification flight test of an Apollo lunar module.

89Q.A. - Atomic Test At Woomera Rocket Range. May 07, 1953.

B732006 U7AD SL-1 #7 JOHN BROUILLARD (Project Engineer) JAN 15 73 EG&G/NTS PHOTO LAB Publication Date: 1/15/1973 CABLES; EDGERTON, GERMESHAUSEN & GRIER; EG&G; NEVADA; NEVADA TEST SITE; NTS; NUCLEAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY; NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS; NUCLEAR TESTING; NUCLEAR TESTS; PHOTOGRAPHY, BLACK & WHITE; PIPES; PIPING; TEST SITES; UGT; UNDERGROUND TESTING; SL-1# 7 historical images. 1972 - 2012. Department of Energy. National Nuclear Security Administration. Photographs Related to Nuclear Weapons Testing at the Nevada Test Site.

Edda (depicted - name).Edda (depicted - name)

Photograph of the Outer Cover being Applied to the Nose Section of a Dirigible. Original caption: Applying outer cover to nose section.. Dirigible Disasters.

Three people in a planetarium

Vibration effects on Humans in a Biased Acceleration Field with David Millerburg in chair

60-INCH TELESCOPE FROM THE EAST

WORM WHEEL & QUICK MOTION RIGHT ASCENSION DRIVE OF 100-INCH TELESCOPE.

Jules Pierre Cesar Janssen (1824-1907) French astronomer at the eyepiece of his reflecting telescope at Meudon observatory France. An accident at a young age left him unable to walk or attend school. He worked as a bank clerk and eventually entered the Sorbonne, graduating in 1852. From 'La Science Illustree'. (Paris, 1893). Engraving.

National Physical Laboratory- Science and Technology in Wartime, Teddington, Middlesex, England, UK, 1944 In the Optics Section of the Light Division at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, a scientist tests the angular scale of a sextant using a large wheel-like piece of apparatus, which is arranged vertically for economy of space.

Astronaut Eugene Cernan at Lunar Lander Research Facility. Cernan under gantry, in training module. Captain Cernan was one of fourteen astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963. On his second space flight, he was lunar module pilot of Apollo 10, May 18-26, 1969, the first comprehensive lunar-orbitalqualification and verification flight test of an Apollo lunar module.

View of Solid Rocket Booster

Observation with a meridian instrument, vintage engraved illustration. From the Universe and Humanity, 1910.

Lunar Rendezvous Simulator

S65-19585 (21 May 1965) --- Astronaut James A. McDivitt, command pilot for the Gemini-Titan 4 prime crew, participates in a weight and balance test during a wet mock simulation exercise at Cape Kennedy, Florida. The two-man Gemini-4 mission, scheduled no earlier than June 3, 1965, will orbit Earth 62 times in four days. Astronaut Edward H. White II (out of frame) is the GT-4 prime crew pilot.

100-INCH TELESCOPE FROM THE NORTH WITH TUBE AT 6H HOUR ANGLE.

60-INCH TELESCOPE FROM THE NORTHWEST.

Originally the Rendezvous was used by the astronauts preparing for Gemini missions. The Rendezvous Docking Simulator was then modified and used to develop docking techniques for the Apollo program. "The LEM pilot's compartment, with overhead window and the docking ring (idealized since the pilot cannot see it during the maneuvers), is shown docked with the full-scale Apollo Command Module." A.W. Vogeley described the simulator as follows: "The Rendezvous Docking Simulator and also the Lunar Landing Research Facility are both rather large moving-base simulators. It should be noted, however, that neither was built primarily because of its motion characteristics. The main reason they were built was to provide a realistic visual scene. A secondary reason was that they would provide correct angular motion cues (important in control of vehicle short-period motions) even though the linear acceleration cues would be incorrect." -- Published in A.W. Vogeley, "Piloted Space-Flight Simulation at

Photographed on: 08 05 1958. -- Impact test conducted by Langley's Hydrodynamics Division. The Division conducted a series of impact studies with full scale and model capsules of the original capsule shape A. Joseph Shortal wrote (Vol. 3, p. 16): The basic design of the capsule was made by M.A. Faget and his coworkers at PARD during the winter of 1957-1958. It was natural, then, that extensive use was made of the facilities at Wallops during the development of the spacecraft. The tests at Wallops consisted of 26 full-size capsules, either launched from the ground by rocket power or dropped from airplanes at high altitude and 28 scaled models, either rocket boosted or released from balloons. Emphasis in the Wallops program was on dynamic stability and aerodynamic heating of the capsule, and effectiveness of the pilot-escape and parachute-recovery systems. The biggest part of the Wallops program was the series of full-size capsules, rocket launched with the Little Joe booster, developed

Engineers Check Model in Wind Tunnel

1960S Side View Of 100-Inch Hooker Telescope In Observatory

100-INCH TELESCOPE FROM THE NORTH WITH TUBE AT >6H HOUR ANGLE.

The Thor-Delta, also known as Delta DM-19 or just Delta was an early American expendable launch system used for 12 orbital launches in the early 1960s. A derivative of the Thor-Able, it was a member of the Thor family of rockets, and the first member of the Delta family.

Flight Mercury S2 Nohab Flight Mercury S2 Nohab.

Clark Y Airfoil

Space shuttle Challenger disaster. Icicles at the launch in the early morning hours on January 28, 1986. The normally pliable rubber O-ring seals and putty designed to seal joints between the Solid Rocket Booster segments, failed when they become hard and non-flexible in the cold temperatures.

Photograph of The Yapp Dome and Telescope, presented by William Johnstone Yapp. Dated 20th Century

Lindbergh examining the cylinders of the Spirit of St. Louis before his Transatlantic Flight, May 1927 (BSLOC_2020_2_69)

Roger Chaffee in the Lunar Landing Simulator

Vintage Photograph. US Navy 2,000,000 volt X-Ray in California.

F-18 HICL II model in NASA Ames Research Center 12ft Pressure Wind Tunnel 12ft w.t.

Visitors view skeletons of people and animals in the reconstructed theatrum anatomicum; Leiden University exhibition 400..

Photo collection Government information service. Series Print Anefo RVD Own Without Caption. Collection Photo collection Government information service own, photo number 156-0454. 1956

Astronaut Neil Armstrong (left) was one of 14 astronauts, 8 NASA test pilots, and 2 McDonnell test pilots who took part in simulator studies. Armstrong was the first astronaut to participate (November 6, 1963). A.W. Vogeley described the simulator in his paper "Discussion of Existing and Planned Simulators For Space Research," "Many of the astronauts have flown this simulator in support of the Gemini studies and they, without exception, appreciated the realism of the visual scene. The simulator has also been used in the development of pilot techniques to handle certain jet malfunctions in order that aborts could be avoided. In these situations large attitude changes are sometimes necessary and the false motion cues that were generated due to earth gravity were somewhat objectionable; however, the pilots were readily able to overlook these false motion cues in favor of the visual realism." Roy F. Brissenden, noted in his paper "Initial Operations with Langley's Rendezvous Docking Facili

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A lunar module is processed inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Photograph of a half scale model of the Gemini 1 space capsule. Gemini 1 was the first unmanned test flight of the Gemini spacecraft in NASA's Gemini program. Dated 20th century

S73-34093 (6 Aug. 1973) --- Astronaut Gerald P. Carr, fully suited, Skylab 4 commander, prepares to enter spacecraft 118 (the Skylab 4 vehicle) at the start of a high altitude chamber test at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Also participating in the test were scientist-astronaut Edward G. Gibson, science pilot, and astronaut William R. Pogue, pilot. The Skylab 4 spacecraft is to be moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Aug. 12, where it will be mated with the launch vehicle as a possible rescue craft for the Skylab 3 crewmen if needed.

The Bathyscaphe ....This is the spherical cabin. October 02, 1948.

Vintage Photograph. Man made lightning in General Electric Laboratory.

Blunt Leading Edge Model in the Unitary Wind Tunnel high mach number test section.

Vintage photograph. Engineer of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics inspects a test missile inside NACA's 4 x 4 foot supersonic wind tunnel

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The May 18 launch date for the Apollo 10 mission is now little more than a month away for its prime crew, shown here at Complex 39's Pad B. From left are Thomas P. Stafford, commander; John W. Young, command module pilot; and Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot. Visible through the girders of the Mobile Service Structure is the launch vehicle which will hurl them toward the Moon in a mission that is to carry Stafford and Cernan to within 50,000 feet of the lunar surface.

telecamera modello inglese, 1959

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

S66-42736 (18 July 1966) --- Fisheye camera lens view of activity in white room atop Pad 19 as technicians secure equipment in preparation for erector lowering. Inside the Gemini-10 spacecraft are astronauts John W. Young, command pilot, and Michael Collins, pilot. Liftoff was at 5 20 p.m. (EST), July 18, 1966.

New Television Tests -- Great advances made by H.M.V. Engineers a demonstration took place on Jan. 6th., at the Hayes (Middlesex) research laboratories of the gramaphone company. When a film was transmitted to the opening of the annual exhibition of the physical society and the optical society at the Imperial College of Science, South Kensington. Scientists afterwards claimed that television, in a complete form, possessing full entertainment value, seems now to be within sight of realisation, and within five years will have to be reckoned with as seriously as in broadcasting to-day. February 18, 1931. (Photo by Sport & General Press Agency, Limited.).

ASTRONAUT PEDRO DUQUE IN SPACE SHUTTLE.

'A Lighthouse Lantern with Group Flashing Lenses', c1930. Creator: Unknown.

Surface Stereo Imager on Mars, Face-On

View of STS Endeavor

The hedge space.SB Sid viewed .. Kockums AB (depicted name), shark (depicted name)

'Intricacies of Framework and Cylinder: R101 in the Making', c1935. Artist: Unknown.

Ministry of Supply Radar Research and Development exhibition (RRDE). A model, jet-engined rocket used to demonstrate the measurement of speed by the Doppler effect, using very high radio frequencies.

Poll photo collection. Visit to Naples and Vesuvius. The Observatory. 1938. Italy, Naples

Bausch and Lomb Microscope sitting on solid light background, viewed from front with lens raised

View of STS Endeavor

Photograph of a radio telescope control room. A radio telescope is a specialised antenna and radio receiver used to receive radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky in radio astronomy. Dated 20th century

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