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Propulsion Systems Laboratory No. 1 and 2

The Propulsion Systems Laboratory (PSL) No. 1 and 2 was for years the nation’s most powerful facility for testing full-scale engines at simulated flight altitudes. For nearly three decades, the PSL tested aircraft, missile, and rocket engines to support a range of military and civilian programs. This website seeks to preserve the legacy of the original PSL facility for future generations.

History

 
Construction of the PSL facility.
Design and Construction
The addition of the PSL No. 1 and 2 in 1952 provided the NACA with a state-of-the-art tool for studying the more powerful engines of the future.
Seymour Himmel giving a talk in PSL on controls for ramjet engines at the NACA's 1954 Inspection.
Missiles and Turbojets
In the 1950s, PSL tested turbojet and ramjet engines for military aircraft and missile systems, before transitioning in the 1960s to rocket engines for ...
A Pratt & Whitney TF30 turbofan engine about to be installed in PSL No. 1.
Return to Jet Engines
In the late 1960s and 1970s, PSL undertook a series of engine studies for civilian and military aircraft. NASA also created two larger PSL test chambers to ...
PSL demolition.
PSL’s Final Years
NASA ceased operation of PSL No. 1 and 2 in the late 1970s. After nearly 30 years of disuse, NASA demolished the facility in 2009.

Facility

 
PSL exterior at night.
Facility Components
PSL No. 1 and 2 included two altitude chambers, a modern control room, a combustion air supply system, an exhauster system, and cooling water system.
View of exterior of lit up PSL complex at night.
PSL Support Buildings
The PSL complex included the Equipment Building, which contained the powerful exhausters and compressors, the Shop and Access Building with the two test ...
Isometric diagram of the PSL facility.
How the PSL Worked
A brief overview of how the PSL No. 1 and 2 was able to test large engines in simulated altitude conditions.

Research

 
Exhibits set up for Inspection between two PSL chambers
PSL No. 1 and 2 Timelines
List of events that impacted PSL No. 1 and 2 and catalog of tests conducted in all four PSL test chambers through 1979.
Two librarians filing reports
Historic Documents
Collection of links to PDFs of historical documents, reference material, and technical reports related to PSL No. 1 and 2.
Cover of Pursuit of Power book
Pursuit of Power: NASA’s Propulsion Systems Laboratory No. 1 and 2 is a history of the research, operations, and people involved.

About the History Office

 
SPC bulkhead.
Historic Preservation
NASA Glenn Research Center has a number of historic facilities, some of which have been demolished in recent years. Many of these sites had not been fully ...
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