Propulsion Systems Laboratory – Missiles and Turbojets
Missiles and Turbojets In the 1950s, the Propulsion Systems Laboratory (PSL) No. 1 and 2 tested turbojet and ramjet engines for military aircraft and missile systems, before transitioning in the 1960s to rocket engines for NASA’s early space program. NASA Glenn Research CenterHistoric Facilities Propulsion Systems Laboratory (PSL) No. 1 and 2 Overview Turbojets Navaho Program P&W RL-10 Bomarc Program Apollo Contour Nozzle Study Overview As the Cold War took hold after World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States raced to integrate German technology into their military systems, particularly long-range missiles and jet engines. The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 increased the urgency for aeronautical advances. NACA researchers used the Propulsion Systems Laboratory (PSL) No. 1 and 2 during this period to improve airbreathing ramjet and turbojet engines to power missiles and new generations of fighter aircraft. The launch of Sputnik I in October 1957 created a new urgency at the laboratory and across the nation....