Two historic NASA test facilities used in the development of the Saturn V and space shuttle launch vehicles have been demolished after towering over the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama since the start of the Space Age.
The Propulsion and Structural Test Facility, which was erected in 1957—the same year the first artificial satellite entered Earth orbit—and the Dynamic Test Facility, which has stood since 1964, were brought down by a coordinated series of implosions on Saturday (Jan. 10). Located in Marshall’s East Test Area on the US Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, the two structures were no longer in use and, according to NASA, had a backlog of $25 million in needed repairs.
“This work reflects smart stewardship of taxpayer resources,” said Jared Isaacman, NASA administrator, in a statement. “Clearing outdated infrastructure allows NASA to safely modernize, streamline operations and fully leverage the infrastructure investments signed into law by President Trump to keep Marshall positioned at the forefront of aerospace innovation.”
NASA implodes two historic test stands in Alabama
Toppling towers
The Propulsion and Structural Test Facility, also known as Building 4572 (and 4573, its associated gantry) or the “T-tower” in reference to its shape, was the first stand to support the firing of single-stage rockets with multiple engines. During the 1960s, the 175-foot-tall (53-meter) facility contributed to the development of the F-1 engine and the first stage (S-IC) of the Saturn V, the rocket that launched the first astronauts to the moon.
The facility, which was built by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, was used to test the Redstone rocket, the first stage of the Saturn IB and, after being modified, the solid rocket motor used by the space shuttle program. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and listed as a National Landmark the next year.