APOLLO ROCKET ENGINE

Today is the 40th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11, which made the first lunar landing.

And I just learned that I won an auction of this hypergolic Apollo Command Module Rocket Engine, signed by Buzz Aldrin.

From the Bonhams space auction, still underway:

"Apollo Command Module rocket engine, made by Rocketdyne, Model SE-8, steel and ablative material, 14 inches long and 3½ inches wide at nozzle base. Fuel and oxidizer valve assemblies are at the top with the associated electrical wiring connections. An ablative nozzle is at the bottom. Internal components consist of a block of ablative material and sleeve, refractory throat insert, and a stainless steel shell. A Rocketdyne ID label reads in part: "Propulsion System Component, Part Name: Rocket Engine Assembly, Part No. 99-106003, Model No. SE 8-2, Date of Mfg. 2Q 64 (second quarter, 1964) Serial No. 4058366."

A set of 12 of these bi-propellant engines provided the Command Module with rotation control, rate damping, and attitude control after separation from the Service Module and during re-entry."

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Comments

PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE says:

Sweet...now you just need to patch it to your Tesla ; )
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

P^2 says:

Woah! Very cool.

Though I don't think you'll be wanting to carry hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide in a Tesla...

(I'm guessing the auction netted less than the original cost to manufacture this)
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

avlxyz says:

only slightly used :)

it's surprisingly small, but i guess they are not the main thrusters for the command module...
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

!MimosaMicheMichelle! says:

Lucky you to own a piece of history!

I just saw on the news a suggestion for a cool site. The children in your family...or the young at heart...might enjoy this.

www.wechoosethemoon.com/
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

conformation_change says:

Converting a Tesla into a hybrid! Maybe SpaceX could help you with something *slightly* safer than hypergolics?
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

Leino88 says:

i think yer deviously trying to figure out how to retrofit this to one of yer rockets.
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

ideastoday says:

Wasn't the landing on the 20th? ;)

Verrrry cool piece of hardware.
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

fnazeeri says:

I'm so jealous! Reminds me during of undergraduate years at the University of Michigan where I studied aerospace engineering. In the lobby of the main building we had a F-1 Rocketdyne engeine en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-1_(rocket_engine) which is the largest engine ever made (5 propelled the first stage of the Apollo rockets). Good stuff!
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

Victor1 says:

Launch on the 17th, landing on the 20th.

May I be the first to suspect that Steve Jurvetson is actually 'the man who fell to earth' and is assembling his return rocket? Go Bowie!
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

Todd Huffman says:

Congrats!

An exciting piece of history!
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

paranoidroid says:

Bring it out to BALLS!
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

sbove says:

Lot No: 99
APOLLO REACTION CONTROL ROCKET ENGINE.

this was a steal at $22k

www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publ icSite.r?sCo...
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson says:

Why? (I have no experience in these kinds of auctions and wondering about what makes something more collectable)

paranoidroid: heh, various BALLS photos and videos were a big hit at the SpaceX board meeting today.

Victor1: 16th and 20th you mean, yes?

avlxyz: correct. Used to control orientation.

fnazeeri: Yes! P.S. they still have the tooling for the Saturn V....

Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

msamaclean © says:

I spent part of the Mission watching it on the tube at a Shakey's Pizza, ( high school). ...and I thought my giant piston from a blown, injected alcohol funny car was cool!...;-P
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

jerryfi_99 says:

Congrats! Nice purchase. My rule of thumb, is that it is worth what I am willing to pay for it. As far as being collectible, it depends on how many like items there are vs the number of interested bidders (and the size of their billfolds). IMO, I think you got a steal (assuming that you want it, and can afford it ;-). I added a couple of artifacts to my flickr page- Now taking bids.... (Just joking- they're not for sale even if someone wanted them;)
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

Vanita says:

Cool!

Better keep you eye on it. Once someone, and I presume something - anthropomorphically speaking, experiences being in space, there is always a desire to return. This engine will undoubtedly try to crawl into your rocketry bag every time you head out for a desert launch.
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

ideastoday says:

Going to set it on your desk? What a conversation starter...
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson says:

exactly! I was low bidding on several items, but this is the one I really wanted....

V - so true... even in our dreams. And I was just packing my rocketry bag for tomorrow. We are having a little launch at NASA Ames with 40 Saturn V models. As we speak, I am waiting for the soldering iron to warm up to hardwire the batteries together in the rocket videocam (so the g-force of launch won't lose electrical contact when the battery springs compress)
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

cxJeff says:

That's way cool, Steve. I've always had a soft spot (theoretically) for hypergolic fuels. ;-)

I'll tell you what I'd like to have in the den: an F-1 injector plate.

Good luck with your launch.
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

pushkar_ says:

Awesome man, Congrats!
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson says:

cxJeff - Yes - ignition simplicity in a vacuum. I am in the middle of a very cool book called Apollo and they describe the trial and error mods to the injector angles to prevent combustion instability. If you ever see one of those for sale, please let me know!

The Apollo engine arrived today, and I am giddy happy. It's heavier than I imagined, and clearly hand crafted.
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

cxJeff says:

Apollo is certainly on my all-time desert island list. I am positively evangelical about that book.

I'll let you know if I see an injector plate, if you'll let me know if you find any of Glynn Lunney's old coffee cups.
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

Spaceaholic.com says:

Congrats on acquisition of this RCS engine Steve. If you are interested in additional details regarding its application and lineage let me know..I have a number similar thrust chambers within my collection to include an SE-8 (my site url www.SPACEAHOLIC.com/ has photodocumentation of many of these artifacts); in addition my friend and fellow collector Mark Wells also has an identical thrust chamber (shown on his site www.ROCKETRELICS.com/

Here is a group portrait of my SE-6 (Gemini RCS), SE 7-1 (Saturn V S-IVB APS) and SE 8-2 thrust chambers (click on each image for high res pics).

Scott
Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink )

Paul Aylett Photography says:

Did this component go to the moon?
Posted 3 months ago. ( permalink )

Spaceaholic.com says:

Neither mine nor Steve's were used in flight - they were test articles from development of the Apollo Command Module's Reaction Control System...
Posted 3 months ago. ( permalink )

Paul Aylett Photography says:

A neat collectable nonetheless :o)
Posted 3 months ago. ( permalink )

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APOLLO ROCKET ENGINE

Comments

PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE says:

P^2 says:

avlxyz says:

!MimosaMicheMichelle! says:

conformation_change says:

Leino88 says:

ideastoday says:

fnazeeri says:

Victor1 says:

Todd Huffman says:

paranoidroid says:

sbove says:

jurvetson says:

msamaclean © says:

jerryfi_99 says:

Vanita says:

ideastoday says:

jurvetson says:

cxJeff says:

pushkar_ says:

jurvetson says:

cxJeff says:

Spaceaholic.com says:

Paul Aylett Photography says:

Spaceaholic.com says:

Paul Aylett Photography says:

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