Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand
Encyclopedia
Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand, also known as Dynamic Structural Test Facility, is a structure at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama
. It stands 363 feet (110.6 m) tall and is 98 feet (29.9 m) square. NASA built the test stand in 1964 to conduct mechanical and vibrational tests on the fully assembled Saturn V
rocket. Major problems capable of causing failure of the vehicle were discovered and corrected here.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1985.
In addition to the Saturn V Dynamic Test Vehicle, designated SA-500D, two Space Shuttle
test vehicles, Pathfinder and Enterprise
, were also tested in this facility.
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. It stands 363 feet (110.6 m) tall and is 98 feet (29.9 m) square. NASA built the test stand in 1964 to conduct mechanical and vibrational tests on the fully assembled Saturn V
Saturn V
The Saturn V was an American human-rated expendable rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973. A multistage liquid-fueled launch vehicle, NASA launched 13 Saturn Vs from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida with no loss of crew or payload...
rocket. Major problems capable of causing failure of the vehicle were discovered and corrected here.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1985.
In addition to the Saturn V Dynamic Test Vehicle, designated SA-500D, two Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
test vehicles, Pathfinder and Enterprise
Space Shuttle Enterprise
The Space Shuttle Enterprise was the first Space Shuttle orbiter. It was built for NASA as part of the Space Shuttle program to perform test flights in the atmosphere. It was constructed without engines or a functional heat shield, and was therefore not capable of spaceflight...
, were also tested in this facility.