Archive of 100 Photographs Documenting the Solid Rocket Motor (SRM/RSRM) Program, Morton-Thiokol & the Return of SRM Segments from Vandenberg AFB to Utah (1989)

[Thompson, Robert]

Verlag:

White 1.5-inch three-ring binder containing 14 original photo sleeves and an envelope of additional prints. Approximately 100 original photographs, mostly 4×6, including color, black-and-white, and Polaroids with occasional manuscript notes to versos. First and only edition, assembled by Robert Thompson during his work with the Morton-Thiokol SRM program. The archive documents SRM/RSRM shop-floor environments, interior test-bay equipment, thrust-vector-control actuators, rigging systems, and large-segment handling. A second sequence of color photographs records the 1989 rail transit of SRM segments from Vandenberg AFB back to the Utah plant, with onboard images shot from the escort train and rail-yard scenes en route. The bindings and sleeves are sound; the outer binder shows minor soiling. The photographs are clean and well-preserved with expected light handling to a few images. This archive provides a valuable vernacular record of post-Challenger SRM/RSRM operations, capturing procedures and industrial environments rarely photographed for public access. The SRM/RSRM units were the only human-rated solid-propellant rocket motors ever flown and form a central part of Shuttle propulsion history. Background Information Thiokol began as a chemical manufacturer specializing in synthetic rubber compounds, later becoming a major contractor in U.S. missile and space propulsion. The company s name combines the Greek words for sulfur and glue, reflecting its early polymer work. Thiokol designed and produced the Shuttle s Solid Rocket Motors (SRM) renamed Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM) once recovery and refurbishment systems were implemented. These motors were the largest, only human-rated solid-propellant rocket engines ever flown, and the first engineered specifically for reuse. They powered the Shuttle s twin SRBs and were central to the system s overall thrust and flight profile. Subjects: Space Shuttle Program, Solid Rocket Motors (SRM/RSRM), Cold-War Aerospace Industry, Utah Industrial History, NASA Contractors, Aerospace History; Vernacular Photography. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 17192

Bibliografische Details

Titel: Archive of 100 Photographs Documenting the ...
Zustand: Near Fine