Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand | |
 SA-500D is erected inside the dynamic test stand for configuration I testing, December, 1966. | |
    | |
| Location | Huntsville, Alabama |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°37′50.97″N 86°39′40.13″W / 34.6308250°N 86.6611472°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1964 |
| Architect | Heinz Hilten[1] of NASA |
| Demolished | January 10, 2026[2] |
| NRHP reference No. | 85002806 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 3, 1985[3] |
| Designated NHL | October 3, 1985[4] |
Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand, also known as dynamic structural test facility,[5] at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama was the test stand used for testing of the Saturn V rocket and the Space Shuttle prior to the vehicles' first flights. Designated building 4550,[6] it stood 363 feet (111 m) tall and is 98 feet (30 m) square.[7] Its central bay had maximum dimensions of 74 by 74 feet (23 m × 23 m), and it was topped by a derrick capable of moving 200-ton objects in a 70-foot (21 m) radius. An elevator provided access to 15 levels in the structure, and a cable tunnel connected the building to control facilities in the space center's East Test Area.[6]
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.[4] The new building was so tall that in 1966 when the Saturn V first stage was entering, an observer noted, "Fog and clouds hovered around the top of the 360 foot (110 m) tall test stand most of the day while the 300,000 pounds (140,000 kg) stage was being lifted from its transporter into place inside the stand, said to be the tallest building in Alabama."[8] The stand was used to test how spacecraft behaved when put under vibrating and bending stresses, and to test the connections between major stages of the craft.[6]
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1985 for its role in the Saturn V program.[4][6]
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.
The Drop Tube Facility was located in the MSFC Dynamic Test Stand. It consisted of sections of 26 centimeter diameter stainless steel pipe vertically assembled into a tube of 105 meters in length. Samples with diameters up to 8 millimeters can be melted at the top and dropped free-fall for 4.6 seconds.[9][10]
Demolition was performed on January 10, 2026.[11][2]
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The Space Shuttle Orbiter simulator is hoisted into the Saturn V dynamic test stand in 1977 -
The Shuttle Enterprise is loaded into the Saturn V dynamic test stand for a shake test, c. 1978
See also
References
- ^ Spires, Shelby (April 30, 2009). "Architect for rocket team hits a century". The Huntsville Times. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
- ^ a b "NASA Marshall Removes Two Historic Test Stands". NASA Marshall. January 10, 2026. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 28, 2007. Retrieved October 25, 2007.
- ^ Man in space: study of alternatives. United States National Park Service. 1987. p. 26. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Butowsky, Harry A. (May 15, 1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying 9 photos, exterior and interior, from 1971, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, and 1984. (2.30 MB)
- ^ "Saturn V Press Kit: Chapter 9 - Facilities". NASA. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ "Dynamics S-IC Moved (photo caption)". Marshall Star. MSFC. January 19, 1966. p. 8. quoted in Wright, Mike. "Three Saturn Vs on Display Teach Lessons in Space History". Marshall Space Flight Center History Office. Archived from the original on November 15, 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ "Marshall Space Flight Center Drop Tube Facility". NASA. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
- ^ Rathz, Thomas; Robinson, Michael; Hofmeister, William; Bayuzick, Robert (December 1990). "The Marshall Space Flight Center Drop Tube Facility". Review of Scientific Instruments. 61 (12): 3846–3853. doi:10.1063/1.1141511.
- ^ Porter, Molly (January 6, 2026). "NASA Marshall Prepares for Demolition of Historic Test, Simulation Facilities". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
Two test stands – the Propulsion and Structural Test Facility and Dynamic Test Facility – are also slated for demolition, one after the other, by carefully coordinated implosion no earlier than sunrise on January 10, 2026.
External links
Media related to Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand at Wikimedia Commons- Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
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