The sign accompanying the engine. It reads
Redstone A-7 Rocket Engine
Rocketdyne built the Redstone A-7 engine. The A-7 was a scaled-up version of
the German V-2 missile's A-4 engine. Like the A-4 engine, the A-7 relied on
three fluids for operation: hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, and liquid oxygen.
Hydrogen peroxide was chemically
broken down to make hot steam that drove a turbopump with a normal
speed of 4800 rotations per minute. The turbopump pushed alcohol fuel and
frigid liquid oxygen into the bell-shaped A-7 thrust chamber, where they
ignited to produce 78,000 pounds of thrust. Heat-resistant graphite vanes protruding
into the flame plume helped steer the rocket.
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