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The sign accompanying the display. It reads

First Stage Y-Ring

Challenge

The size of the propellant tanks in the Saturn V's first stage made the fabrication hugely difficult. Hardest of all was welding the tank domes and vertical walls without creating thick "lap joints" (where pieces overlap).

Solution

MSFC designed an aluminum "Y-ring" to join the domes and walls of the first-stage propellant tanks. The part of the Y-ring that curved inward connected to the dome. The straight side was welded to both the tank wall and the outer skin of the rocket.

On display are two slices of Y-ring material. Note their Y shape. The sample above demonstrates how the Y-ring attached to the tank wall and rocket skin.