Fact Sheet Alphabetical List

Fact Sheet Search

  • W53 Thermonuclear Bomb

    Based upon the Mk-53 "hydrogen" bomb, the W53 was modified to be carried by the Titan II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). With a yield in the megaton range, the W53 fit into a Mk-6 re-entry vehicle installed on top of the Titan II.This artifact is on loan courtesy of the National Museum of

  • USAF Satellite Launch Vehicles

    Over the years, the USAF has developed several types of launch vehicles for the ballistic missile program. These ballistic missile launchers were modified and used to place many USAF and NASA projects into space. The three most important boosters to the United States' unmanned space program were the

  • Rocket Engine Evolution

    The first American rocket engine to produce more thrust than the 56,000 pounds delivered by the German V-2 (A-4) engine was the Rocketdyne XLR43-NA-1. Initially, this engine developed 75,000 pounds static thrust, but later its power output was improved to 120,000 pounds. The XLR43 was originally

  • Dr. Robert H. Goddard

     "The Father of Modern Rocketry""It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."- Robert Hutchings Goddard (1882-1945) Physicist and inventor Dr. Robert H. Goddard is considered the father of practical modern rocketry and space

  • Rocket Propulsion

    Origins of Rocket Propulsion Although the precise history of the development of rocket propulsion is obscure, we know that the first rockets were developed in ancient China. Modern rocket engines that lift spacecraft into orbit operate on the very same principles as the first Chinese rockets. Both

  • John H. Glenn Jr.: Aviator and Astronaut

    In John Glenn's long aviation career, he flew with the U.S. Marines and the U.S. Air Force, set a speed record, and shot down enemy aircraft. But he is best known as the first American to orbit the Earth and, later in life, as the oldest person to fly in space.In World War II, Glenn volunteered for

  • Gen. Bernard A. Schriever

    "Father of Air Force Space and Missiles"Bernard A. Schriever was the chief architect of the U.S. Air Force's early ballistic missile and space programs. His visionary leadership in the 1950s and 1960s made the USAF a world leader in developing military science and technology. He directed the

  • Gen. T.D. White: Pioneer Airman and Scholar

    Gen. Thomas Dresser White was the fourth Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force (1957-1961). He was a visionary military leader and a brilliant scholar who helped bring the USAF into the space age.Born in 1901 in Minnesota, Thomas D. White started his military career in the U.S. Army as an infantry

  • Five Stars in Space: Hap Arnold's Rank Insignia Orbit the Earth

    These 5-star general's insignia belonged to Henry "Hap" Arnold, and they flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2011. Flying Arnold's insignia in space symbolized the U.S. Air Force's drive to expand the limits of technology. In 1945 Gen. Arnold anticipated that spaceflight would eventually

  • Moon Rock

     The Apollo 16 mission took place from April 16-27, 1972. The 11-day journey was the fifth mission in which astronauts walked on the moon. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Charles M. Duke and U.S. Navy Capt. John W. Young flew the lunar module Orion to the moon's surface, while Navy Lt. Cdr. Thomas K.