Named for Redstone Arsenal where it was developed, the  Army Redstone missile played a crucial role in the U. S.’s defense capability. It was nicknamed “Old Reliable” due to its outstanding launch record. First deployed in 1958, the Redstone was the forerunner of the Jupiter missile. The Redstone on display at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is the first production Redstone manufactured in Warren, Michigan. Its Serial Number CC-001. It was used for training soldiers at Redstone Arsenal, with stamps on interior components that read “For Training Use Only.”

The Juno II was modified from the Jupiter intermediate-range ballistic missile, with upper stages and payload sections added. Juno IIs were used for ten uncrewed launches from 1958-1961. These missions included Pioneer IV, America’s first successful lunar flyby mission and Explorer XI, the first gamma ray detection satellite.

The Saturn I was the first American launch vehicle developed solely for space exploration. It had a 100% success rate, unprecedented for its time. The Saturn I had two versions, Block I and Block II. In the Block II configuration, the Saturn I had stabilizing fins, lengthened fuel tanks and improved H-1 engines. This combination increased the first stage thrust to over 1,500,000 pounds at launch. Since additional performance improvements were necessary to facilitate NASA objectives for the Apollo program, the Saturn I was eventually replaced by the more powerful Saturn IB.

The Mercury Redstone is based on the Army Redstone missile. It has an upgraded engine and additional propellant capacity to carry the Mercury space capsule. It was used to launch the first American into space, Alan Shepard, in May 1961. This Mercury-Redstone was used for MR-1, the first test flight. An issue with power and control cables caused the engine to shut down immediately after ignition. MR-1 rose 3.8 inches (9.7 centimeters) before settling back into place. After the test, MR-1 was transported to Marshall Space Flight Center for study before eventual display at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

The Juno I is a variant of the Jupiter-C that looked identical but added an additional single-motor upper stage and was specifically designed to carry lightweight payloads into low-Earth orbit. A Juno I launch vehicle was used to launch America’s first satellite, Explorer I, on January 31, 1958.

The Jupiter was America’s first intermediate-range ballistic missile and was used to launch two monkeys into space on May 28, 1959. Achieving an altitude of 300 miles (480 meters), monkeynauts Able and Baker were the first primates to be launched into space and successfully recovered. Miss Baker spent the later years of her life at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

The Saturn V is a symbol of ingenuity and “can-do” spirit for the world. The iconic Saturn V replica that stands on the grounds of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL, inspires hundreds of thousands who visit the Center each year from all over the United States and around the world. Built in 1999, the Saturn V replica sends a reminder that achieving lofty dreams is possible. Your help enables the preventive maintenance that protects this landmark from the effects of weathering.

A-12 Oxcart was the successor to the U2 Spy plane and developed by the CIA. The Oxcart became operational in 1965. Single seat aircraft unlike the SR-71. In creating the Oxcart new cutting edge innovations took place in titanium fabrication along with new jet fuels and flight controls, electronic counter measures, along with the pilot life support system. Speed Mach 3.2 or just over 2200 miles per hour at 90,000 ft. Camera system on the A-12 was better than the 71 but the 71 could collect more data giving the 71 an advantage.

This aircraft, an F-14A, Bureau Number 160661, was a part of Navy Fighter Squadron VF-51, aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on its maiden voyage and in VF-124 at Naval Air Station Miramar, CA, where it served as a training aircraft. This aircraft also participated in a NASA effort to improve F-14 maneuvering. The F-14 Tomcat was a supersonic, twin-engine, variable sweep wing, two-seat fighter designed for the US Navy. The F-14’s AWG-9 radar was a powerful Pulse-Doppler, multi-mode system that tracked up to 24 targets simultaneously, attacked six targets with its Phoenix AIM-54A missiles closed-circuit while continuing to scan the airspace.

The Pathfinder was constructed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in 1977 as an Orbiter Simulator. It was designed to be a stand-in for the Orbiter Enterprise, which was to be involved in extensive ground testing at the center. In early 1978, the Pathfinder was hoisted to the top of Marshall’s 4OO-foot tall Dynamics Test Stand in “dry runs” for the Mated Vertical Ground Vibration Tests planned for Enterprise. It was destined to become part of the world’s only launch configuration (full stack) shuttle display. In May of 1988 Pathfinder was placed on top of the External Tank in Shuttle Park.

This MQF housed the Apollo 12 astronauts. NASA hired Melpar, Inc. to build four MQFs for Apollo missions 11-14. The MQF was fabricated with an Airstream shell built on a customized platform, complete with living space and a medical diagnostic center. The MQF program was developed in reaction to fears about human exposure to possible Moon organisms unknown on Earth that could initiate an uncontrollable epidemic. This modified Airstream trailer was used by returning Apollo 12 astronauts Alan L. Bean, Richard Gordon, and Charles “Pete” Conrad. The crew stayed in the MQF while it was flown from the recovery aircraft carrier Hornet to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, and then for several more days while at the center for a total confinement of approximately 65 hours. In 2007, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) received an email from Dr. Paul Johnson, a supervisor for the Alabama Department of Conservation. Johnson had discovered an old Airstream trailer at a fish hatchery in Marion, Alabama. Being a space enthusiast, he suspected this was no ordinary Airstream. The USSRC confirmed it was the Apollo 12 MQF.