The sign near the A-7 engine. It reads
A-6 Engine
This is a Mercury-Redstone engine built by Chrysler Corporation in Warren,
Michigan. The Mercury-Redstone was a single stage rocket 70 inches in diameter
and 59 feet height (83 feet high with capsule and escape tower). The A-6
engine burned alcohol and liquid oxygen to produce 78,000 pounds of thrust.
A Mercury-Redstone rocket like the
one standing in front of the Space Center was used to launch Allen [sic]
B. Shepard, our first astronaut into space on May 5, 1961. It was a
suborbital flight of 130 miles lasting 15 minutes 45 seconds and reaching a
speed of 4,909 mph.
Note that the sign incorrectly identifies this engine as an A-6; it's actually
an A-7. See my Redstone
rocket engines page for additional details on the A-6 and A-7.
Also, the A-7 engine is a product of North American Aviation's Propulsion
Section (later renamed to the Rocketdyne Division), rather than Chrysler,
although Chrysler was the contractor for the Redstone proper.
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