I have been trying to acquire this Apollo CSM engine for many years now. Norton Sales has held onto it for the past 50 years. They received it in 1970 from Rocketdyne after returning the gold bricks they accidentally found in a surplus sales lot. This SPS engine will seen in the forthcoming third season of For All Mankind . Specifically, a Block I AJ10-137 engine from 1964.
And the 48″ diameter titanium fuel tanks, also from the CSM, were in a Transformers movie. That RASCAL engine on the right comes from the first nuclear-tipped supersonic air to surface missile, from the 1950’s. The sleigh also included other Apollo engine artifacts like a J-2 impeller and part of a F-1 gas generator.
Santa must think I have been a very good boy! And who knew? Xmas in July a thing!
This Service Propulsion System (SPS) Engine was constructed by Aerojet General Corporation out of Sacramento, California for the Apollo Lunar Program. It was the first man-rated propulsion system to be certified to take humans beyond earth orbit.
After separating from the Saturn V S-IVB, the SPS engine provided the thrust for all major CSM spacecraft velocity changes throughout an Apollo mission. The engine has a nominal 20,500 pound thrust and could be fired for a minimum of 0.4 seconds. Its design required that it successfully fired every time on command, or the Apollo Crew would never return home safely.
Here are the specs, and a video overview (PSWD Carlos):
MOD AJ10-137 APOLLO ENGINE
NAA/S&ID control:
Part no. ME 901-0007-0003
Contract No. M3J7XA-406014
MFD Date. 4-0-64
MFR Serial No. 001890000022
MFR Part No. 707170-15
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