National Association of Rocketry - Correspondence (Associates)
Collection Creator:
National Aeronautic Association (U.S.) Search this
Container:
Box 163, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1960-1964
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
National Aeronautic Association (NAA) Archives (1918-1976), Acc. XXXX-0209, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Paul E. Garber Collection, Acc. NASM.1991.0063, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
NASA Historical Report No. 3. Milestones in Space Exploration. A Chronology of Technological Progress in Aeronautics, Rocketry, and Scientific Investigation. 1915-1960 (Draft)
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Paul E. Garber Collection, Acc. NASM.1991.0063, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Peenemünde Interviews Project, Acc. 1999.0038, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Peenemünde Interviews Project, Acc. 1999.0038, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Peenemünde Interviews Project, Acc. 1999.0038, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Table of Contents, Bibliography (Lowood), Micsell. Neufeld, Michael. "Weimar Culture and Futuristic Technology: The Rocketry and Space Flight fad in Germany 1923-1933"
Series 9, Published Files, 1982-1994, are closed for thirty years from the date of the last correspondence in the individual folder. They may be opened, on a case-by-case basis, through appeal to the SHOT Editorial Committee.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Society for the History of Technology Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
This collection is comprised mostly of administrative memoranda of the portion of the V-2 Panel which represented the Rocket-Sonde Research Section of NAR. The thirty-four files from Rocket-Sonde members are roughly chronological and are followed by files from other entities such as the Ad Hoc Committee on Rocket, Satellite and Space Research. The material in this collection was gathered by David DeVorkin while he conducted research for his book, _Science with a Vengeance_.
Biographical / Historical:
The Rocket-Sonde Research Section of the Naval Research Laboratory (NAR) participated in the V-2 Panel (ACA V-2 Upper Atmosphere Research Panel), which, with the use of captured German V-2 rockets, conducted in the 1940s and 1950s a long series of experiments which sought to to further our understanding of the upper atmosphere and the nature of solar radiation, as well as the technology utilized in the V-2 itself.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
David DeVorkin, Transfer, 1998, 1998-0025, Public Domain
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection consists of AMROC's business records. Included here is information on AMROC's various hybrid rocket motor programs and models, including Aquila, Hybrid Engine Analysis and Technology (HEAT), and SET-1, as well as general information relating to hybrid rocket technology. The types of materials present here include: correspondence, articles, press releases, presentations, analyses, reports, programs, agreements, and financial data.
Biographical / Historical:
The American Rocket Company (AMROC) was established in 1985 by George Koopman with the goal of developing space exploration with hybrid rocket technology. Promoting the safety and economical aspects of hybrid motors, AMROC developed several hybrid rocket motors through various partnerships and programs. AMROC's first proposed launch, with Single Engine Test-1 (SET-1), was postponed numerous times and the eventual attempt was not successful. AMROC was eventually crushed by a combination of hardships, including financial difficulties and the sudden death of Koopman due to a car accident. Without Koopman's motivation and leadership AMROC slowly deteriorated. The company did, however, play a key role in the development of hybrid rocket motors. The innovative technology AMROC used is still being used in the development of hybrid rocket technology.
Provenance:
Scott Sacknoff, Gift, 2006
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Blanche Stuart Scott Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0062, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Peenemunde Research and Development Station Search this
Names:
Peenemunde Research and Development Station Search this
Extent:
2.2 Cubic feet (5 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Reports
Date:
1938-1945
bulk 1942-1944
Summary:
The German Army and Navy experimental station at Peenemünde, on the North Sea coast of Germany, was established in the mid-1930s to continue the rocketry work begun at Kummersdorf in 1930.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of copies of reports from the Peenemünde Archiv 66 series covering aerodynamic work on the V-2 (A4), A5, and Wasserfall missiles.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into two series: first are blueprint copies, which include photographs as illustrations, followed by autopositive copies, which include copy negatives used to produce illustrative photographs. There is significant overlap between these two series. In each series the documents are in order by Archiv Number.
Biographical/Historical note:
The German Army and Navy experimental station at Peenemünde, on the North Sea coast of Germany, was established in the mid-1930s to continue the rocketry work begun at Kummersdorf in 1930. By the end of World War II (1939-1945) the research station produced a number of successful weapons, including the first surface-to-surface guided missile (V-1), the first ballistic missile (V-2), and the first operational air-to-surface missile (He 293), as well as other designs. The equipment developed at Peenemünde formed the basis for postwar research and designs by both the United States and the Soviet Union.
Peenemunde Research and Development Station Search this
Names:
Peenemunde Research and Development Station Search this
Extent:
1.58 Cubic feet (4 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Publications
Photographs
Charts
Maps
Date:
1940-1945, circa 1950
bulk 1940-1945
Summary:
The German Army and Navy experimental station at Peenemunde, on the North Sea coast of Germany, was established in the mid-1930s to continue the rocketry work begun at Kummersdorf in 1930.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of copies of reports primarily from the Peenemünde Archiv 14, 66, and 86 series.
Arrangement:
The documents are in German and are filed in order by Archiv Number (for example: 11/8, 14/2, 14/3).
Biographical/Historical note:
The German Army and Navy experimental station at Peenemunde, on the North Sea coast of Germany, was established in the mid-1930s to continue the rocketry work begun at Kummersdorf in 1930. By the end of World War II (1939-1945) the research station produced a number of successful weapons, including the first surface-to-surface guided missile (V-1), the first ballistic missile (V-2), and the first operational air-to-surface missile (He 293), as well as other designs. The equipment developed at Peenemunde formed the basis for postwar research and designs by both the United States and the Soviet Union.
This collection consists of approximately 0.15 cubic feet of material relating to Harry W. Bull and his work with rockets.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of approximately 0.15 cubic feet of material relating to Harry W. Bull and his work with rockets. Included in the collection are photocopies of items loaned by the donor for copying, including copies of pages of a scrapbook which includes captions by Bull. Additional types of material contained in the collection include correspondence; photographs; news clippings; technical papers written by Bull; pages of notes on Bull's research and experiments including calculations, drawings, and notes on various tests; three notebooks of technical information compiled by Bull; and copies of diary entries made by Bull in 1925. There is a section of material relating specifically to Bull's rocket-propelled sled. Notable correspondents whose letters appear in the collection include Robert Hutchings Goddard and George Edward Pendray.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged according to location.
Biographical / Historical:
Harry W. Bull (1909-1971) was an American rocketry pioneer who conducted more than 800 individual tests during the period from 1926 to 1934, as well as building and successfully riding a rocket-propelled sled in 1931. Bull was credited by James Hart Wyld with being the first American to design and build a regeneratively-cooled rocket motor and the first to experiment with a monopropellant rocket motor. Bull also did extensive research on steam propulsion as well as various types of propellants. Bull financed his education by lecturing on rocketry, and by selling photos of his successful rocket sled experiments to various news outlets. Bull also was able to use publicity generated by the sled run to produce and sell a copyrighted specification booklet. Bull graduated from the College of Applied Science at Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 1932. After graduating, Bull was employed by Church and Dwight Company to design and test packaging machines, then went to work in 1935 with the Tennessee Valley Authority where he was involved in aerial mapping. Bull joined The Dow Chemical Company in 1937 as a design engineer, becoming a packaging coordinator in 1954, and he was named Director of Packaging in 1962. Bull retired from Dow in 1968 due to ill health. Bull was a member of the American Interplanetary Society, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and was a charter member of the American Rocket Society, as well as belonging to various organizations relating to his work in packaging.
Provenance:
Bertha K. Bull, Gift, 1973, NASM.XXXX.1207
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Robert Truax was one of the great originals of American rocketry and a major proponent and inventor of ultra-low-cost rocket engine and vehicle concepts.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of material relating to the career of Robert Collins Truax including correspondence, photographic material, technical drawings, technical manuals and reports, presentation and conference materials, papers by Truax, news clippings, published materials and business records for Truax Engineering, Inc.
Projects and programs referenced in this collection include the Knievel Rocket Car (Truax X-2 Sky-Cycle); X-3 Volksrocket; amphibious launchers, including the "Sea Dragon," "Sea Horse," and SEALAR (Sea Launched Rocket); the Space Shuttle program; the Gemini and Apollo programs; Rocketdyne LR89 Liquid-Fuel Motors; Rand Project; the Corona Reconnaissance Satellite; and Project Private Enterprise.
The researcher should note that the collection also contains audio-visual material. These items are not included in the finding aid but the NASM audio-visual archivist can assist you regarding access.
Arrangement:
This collection was arranged into series by the processing archivist. There was no original order when the collection was received.
Series 1: Personal & Business Papers
Series 2: Papers Authored by R.C. Truax
Series 3: Drawings
Series 4: Images
4:1 - Slides
4:2 - Photos, Negatives & Floppy Discs
Acronyms:
Numerous acronyms were used by the creator when labeling his file units. Some will be obvious to the researcher but the archivist has identified some acronyms that might be more unclear. Not all acronyms were able to be identified.
AFRL - Air Force Research Lab
ATD - Advanced Technology Development
BAA - possibly Broad Agency Announcement
BMDO - Ballistic Missile Defense Organization
CDRL - Contract Data Requirements List?
CPAI - Chemical Propulsion Information Agency
ITAR - International Traffic in Arms Regulations
KACST - King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology
MSFC - Marshall Space Flight Center
PMRF - Pacific Missile Range Facility
RSLP - Rocket Systems Launch Program
SEALAR - Sea Launch & Recovery
TEI - Truax Engineering Inc.
TPIPT - Technology Planning Integrated Product Teams
Biographical / Historical:
Robert Truax (1917-2010) was one of the great originals of American rocketry and a major proponent and inventor of ultra-low-cost rocket engine and vehicle concepts. A longtime member of the American Rocket Society (serving as its president in 1957,) He received the Robert H. Goddard award for outstanding work in liquid propellant rockets as well as the Legion of Merit citation for his conceptual work on making the "Polaris" guided-missile submarine a primary naval weapon. Truax was also inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2003.
Inspired by Robert Goddard, Truax began building rockets when he was a teenager in California. From 1936 to 1939, while enrolled at the United States Naval Academy, he tested liquid-fueled rocket motors. During the late 1940s, he organized the US Naval Missile Test Center's propulsion laboratory at Point Mugu, California, and headed rocket development within the Navy's Bureau of Aeronotics where he advanced the concept of a staged combustion system upon which the Space Shuttle's main engines would eventually rely. In 1946, Truax led a team that interrogated the rocket engineer for Nazi Germany, Wernher von Braun.
By 1955, however, his proposal for a submarine-launched ballistic missile had failed to win Navy approval and he joined the Air Force's newly established Western Development Division (WDD) From 1955 to 1958, Captain Truax headed the Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) development program. Truax studied the sea launching of rockets, such as the Sea Bee and Sea Horse projects. In 1959 he retired as a Captain, and headed the Aerojet-General Advanced Development Division and Aerojet's Sea Dragon project in the Advanced Development Division until leaving in 1967. In 1966 Robert Truax founded Truax Engineering Inc. (TEI,) which studied sea launch concepts similar to the earlier Sea Dragon—the Excalibur, the SEALAR (Sea Launched Rocket,) and the Excalibur S. Here his low-cost booster program plan was elaborated and further studied, but he was again unable to interest NASA or the USAF in the concept of cheap access to space.
In the 70's and early 80's, Truax, heretofore prominent in scientific communities, emerged in popular culture. Literally building rockets from his own backyard in Saratoga, Truax built both of Evel Knievel's "Skycycles" for his 1974 for attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon. He later competed in the original X-prize competition to send a private astronaut into suborbital flight.
Robert Truax, died on September 17 aged 93, as a key figure in the rocket research that took America into the space age, while also being an inspiration to the do-it-yourself, back-yard amateur.
145 Film reels (143 16mm film reels - runtime of 40:24:65
2 35mm film reels - runtime of 58:23)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound tape reels
Videodiscs (dvd)
Video recordings
Electronic discs (cd)
Sound cassettes
Film reels
Motion pictures (visual works)
Movie scripts
Transcripts
Audiotapes
Videotapes
Clippings
Scripts (documents)
Date:
1957-2011
bulk 1980-1990
Summary:
The documentary film Growing Up With Rockets, produced by Vanguard Productions and Nancy Yasecko and released in 1984, is the story and personal reminiscences of the children, now grown, of those who worked at Cape Canaveral. The film discusses the Bumper Project (using captured V-2 missiles after World War II); Sputnik; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs; and ends with the first flight of Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) in 1981. Nancy Yasecko offers first person commentary with rare archival film, newsreels, excerpts from NASA promotional films, home movies and contemporary footage.
In 1990, under the auspices of Citizen Exchange Council (CEC), a NY-based Soviet-American exchange organization, Growing Up With Rockets was included in the American Documentary Showcase. The Showcase was the first uncensored collection of American documentary films ever to reach general audiences across the USSR.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of approximately thirteen cubic feet of material related to the production and marketing of the documentary film Growing Up With Rockets including audio tapes; motion picture film and video recordings, scripts, post-production notes, reference material, correspondence, financial information, interview transcripts, news clippings, information regarding distribution contracts, event programs, photographs, and project descriptions and flowcharts.
The researcher should note that the collection also contains 16mm film and rollettes, U-Matic cassettes, VHS tapes, 1 inch videotape, 3/4 inch videotape, and DVD. There are 191 motion picture items totaling 75:51:35. Audio tape formats include compact disc; 1/4 inch reel to reel; audio cassettes; and records in various sizes. There are 128 audio items in total. These items are not included in the container list but a NASM Archives staff person can assist you regarding access.
Arrangement:
Organized into 6 series:
Series 1: Production
Series 2: Events
Series 3: Publicity
Series 4: Reference
Series 5: Other
Series 6: Oversize
This collection was arranged at the time of processing to better reflect its main areas of subject matter.
Within series, file units were placed in chronological order with undated material placed at the end of the
series. Original folder titles were kept. Archivist's description appears below folder titles.
Biographical / Historical:
Nancy Yasecko is a media artist and educator who grew up and is still living on the Space Coast of Florida. She graduated from Cocoa Beach High School in 1972,and received her B.A. from the University of South Florida in 1975, and her M.A. in Instructional Technology from the University of Central Florida 1997.
Nancy Yasecko is also the proprietor of Vanguard Productions, located on Merritt Island, FL, a producer of film and video for PBS broadcast and non-profit and governmental organizations.
Her film Growing Up with Rockets was included with the first group of US documentaries to be screened in the former Soviet Union in the American Documentary Showcase, Glastnost Tour 1990.
Provenance:
Nancy Yasecko, Vanguard Productions, gift, 2012
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
