Rocket engine undergoing tests - Apix, Florida.

Title

• Rocket engine undergoing tests - Apix, Florida.

Image Number

• RC08584

Year

• 1958

Series Title

• General: Reference collection

General Note

• In the late 1950's the government created a fictitious town named Apix (Air Products Incorportated, Experimental) to build and test rocket engines powered by liquid hydrogen in order to keep pace with Soviet Union developments. Highly classified and requiring a large degree of secrecy, the project was given the code name "Suntan". Land near the testing ground was platted for houses to conceal the true nature of the site and Apix was even given a bogus population to add to its cover as a small fertilizer-producing community. By June 1959 the use of liquid hydrogen was determined to be too costly, the project was abandoned and Apix was dismantled.



General Note

• Accompanying note: "The XLR115 Hydrogen fueled rocket engine firing in a diffuser to simulate altitude operating conditions. This engine was developed at the Florida Research and Development Center, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, and will be used in the Centaur and Saturn space vehicles."

Physical Description

• 1 photoprint - col. - 8 x 10 in.

Subject Term

• Space programs--United States
• Space age
• Extinct cities--Florida--Apix
• Astronautics and civilization
• Space race
• Cold War
• Secrecy
• Liquid hydrogen
• Rocket engines--Testing
• Official secrets

Geographic Term

• Palm Beach County (Fla.)
• Apix (Fla.)

Subject Corporate

• United Aircraft Corporation. Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division.

Shelf Number

• Shelf number: 06822.

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