Events Timeline

1941

• War Department seizes property to build the PBOW.¹
• The NACA begins construction of the AERL [future NASA Lewis].

1943

• The NACA’s AERL officially begins operations in Cleveland.

1945

• World War II ends.
• PBOW closes after producing record amounts of ammunition for the war.
• Major NACA reorganization is done to focus on turbojets and high-speed flight.
• NACA begins modest nuclear propulsion research.
• Military sponsors initial hydrogen engine studies at OSU³ and JPL.⁴

1946

• Matthew-Lavio and Sons manages idle Plum Brook property.
• Air Force approves development of surface-to-surface intercontinental missile.
• Research begins on nuclear propulsion for aircraft.

1947

• Rocket Lab begins operation at the NACA lab in Cleveland, Ohio.
• First supersonic flight by Chuck Yeager in X–1.
• Cleveland Lab renamed the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory.

1948

• Lewis hosts conference that discusses high-energy fuels.
• Lewis researchers begin calculating fluorine’s performance.

1949

• Plum Brook property transferred to General Services Administration
• Lewis research divisions reorganized under Abe Silverstein

1951

• NACA establishes a Special Subcommittee on Rocket Engines.

1952

• New Cryogenics Engineering Lab begins producing liquid hydrogen.
• United States tests first hydrogen bomb.

1954

• Ravenna Arsenal begins management of Plum Brook.
• Lewis improves Cell 22 at the Rocket Lab.
• First liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen engine firing occurs at Rocket Lab.
• Lewis tests gaseous hydrogen in turbojet combustor.

1955

• Congress approves funding for NACA test reactor at Plum Brook.
• Air Force and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) begin Project Rover.
• Rocketdyne and Aerojet begin design of hydrogen turbopumps.
• Lewis tests 10,000-lb-thrust fluorine engines.

1956

• Groundbreaking ceremony for Plum Brook Reactor in September.
• Lewis performs initial decontamination at Plum Brook.

1957

• Project Bee aircraft performs liquid-hydrogen-powered flights.
• Lewis creates Fluid Systems Components and Nuclear Reactor Divisions.
• Congress approves funding for Rocket Systems Area.
• General Dynamics begins design of the Centaur second-stage rocket.
• Lewis hosts NACA Inspection and Flight Propulsion Conference.
• Soviet Union launches Sputnik and Sputnik II.
• Navy’s launch of Vanguard fails.
• Regeneratively cooled hydrogen-fluorine engine run at Rocket Lab.

1958

• Lewis leases additional land at Plum Brook for Rocket Systems Area.
• Construction of Rocket Systems Area (RSA) begins.
• Silverstein transferred to Headquarters.
• Lewis inventories PBOW structures and equipment.
• AEC approves Rocketdyne axial-flow turbopump.
• NASA is officially founded on October 1.
• Pratt & Whitney begins developing RL–10 engine.
• Pilot Plant (G Site) begins operation at Plum Brook.

1959

• AEC conducts first low-power test of Kiwi-A reactor.
• Silverstein-led committee recommends high-energy fuels for upper-stage rockets.
• NASA requests additional 3500 acres at Plum Brook from the Army for additional sites.
• NASA replaces Air Force in the Rover program.

1960

• High Energy Engine Research Facility (B–1) construction underway.
• AEC conducts first full-scale Kiwi-A reactor test.
• Space Nuclear Propulsion Office (SNPO) created on August 31.

1961

• Yuri Gagarin becomes first human in space.
• President Kennedy calls for manned lunar landing.
• AEC and NASA accept Aerojet-Westinghouse NERVA⁵ proposal.
• Pratt & Whitney struggles with RL–10 engine problems.
• Rocket Systems Area becomes operational in the fall.
• Rocket Systems Division established at Plum Brook.
• Silverstein named director of Lewis Research Center.

1962

• E Stand, I Site, and J Site become operational.
• Alan “Hap” Johnson named Plum Brook Director.
• Congress approves $40 million for B-3⁶, SPF⁷, and B-2⁸ expansion.
• NASA substitutes Centaur for Agena rocket for Surveyor Program.
• First attempt to launch an Atlas-Centaur rocket fails on May 8.
• NASA transfers Centaur Program from Marshall to Lewis.
• Lockheed Martin designs Titan III booster.
• AEC test of Kiwi-B4-A reactor at Nevada Test Site fails.

1963

• All PBOW property officially transferred to NASA.
• Site renamed Plum Brook Station [renamed, Neil Armstrong Test Facility in 2021].
• NASA razes many PBOW structures.
• 200,000-gal hydrogen Dewar built at Plum Brook.
• Researchers conduct tests at the B–1 facility; checkout tests run throughout the fall.
• B–3 facility construction begins.
• Second Atlas-Centaur launch attempt successful.
• E Stand⁹ modified to accommodate Atlas-Centaur.

1964

• Engineering Building, B–2, and B–3 under construction.
• AEC tests Kiwi-B4 reactor design at Nevada Test Site.
• B–1 begins testing Kiwi reactor flow system.
• AEC successfully runs NERVA NRX–A2 engine at Nevada Test Site.

1965

• NASA budget peaks.
• Attempts to get Rocket Turbine and Controls Site (D Site) working cease.
• The Cryogenic Propellant Tank Facility (K Site) begins operation.

1966

• B–3 begins operation.
• Atlas-Centaur sends first Surveyor spacecraft to lunar surface.
• Engineering Building opens at Plum Brook.
• Lewis staff levels reach peak.
• Lewis converts Hydrogen Heat Transfer Facility (HTTF) into the HTF¹⁰.

1967

• Lewis begins reacquiring property around Plum Brook perimeter.

1968

• Apollo 8 circles Moon.

1969

• Final test conducted at B–1.
• Abe Silverstein retires and is replaced by Bruce Lundin.
• AEC tests NERVA XE engine at Nevada Test Site.
• Apollo 11 makes first lunar landing.

1970

• B–2 and SPF begin operation.
• Apollo 13 astronauts return to Earth following aborted mission.

1971

• NERVA is redesigned as smaller rocket engine.

1972

• President Nixon approves Space Shuttle Program.
• NASA fiscal year 1973 budget submitted in September without NERVA.
• Apollo 17 mission in December is final Apollo flight.

1973

• NASA cancels nuclear rocket and power programs.
• Lundin announces that Plum Brook will shut down.
• Symposium fails to generate external interest in Plum Brook Station.
• B–3 commences preparations for Centaur Standard Shroud (CSS) testing.
• Staff begin mothballing the reactor and most of the RSA.

1974

• F Site,¹¹ B–3, HTF, B–2, and K Site conduct final runs and are mothballed.
• Titan-Centaur’s initial test flight fails.

1975

• Plum Brook Mod-0A wind turbine begins operation.

1976

• NASA review of Plum Brook outlines future options.
• Titan-Centaur sends Viking vehicles to Mars.

1977

• NASA cannibalizes some mothballed facilities.
• Titan-Centaur launches two Voyager spacecraft.

1982

• Lewis reduces B–1 and B–3 readiness status to Category 3.

1985

• Operation of Plum Brook wind turbine ceases.
• Office of Management and Budget recommends excessing Plum Brook.

1986

• Office of Management and Budget decides to restore Plum Brook.

1987

• Plum Brook begins reactivating its large test facilities.

1989

• First test run conducted in reactivated SPF chamber.
• K Site becomes operational with new slush hydrogen generator.

1993

• HTF begins operations.

1996

• B–2 facility fully restored.

1998

• Demolition of Plum Brook Reactor Facility commences

2004

• NASA offers centers funding to remove unused facilities.
• E Stand is demolished.

2007

• Lewis makes plans to remove Rocket Systems Area.

2009

• A Site,⁶ C Site,⁷ F Site, and I Site⁸ are demolished.

2010

• B–1 and B–3 stands and Gas Handling Area are demolished.

2012

• H Control Building, K Site’s control building, and J–5¹⁵ hortonsphere are demolished.
• Plum Brook Reactor decommissioning is completed.

Testing Timeline

1958

• Small gas generators (G Site)

1959

• Small gas generators (G Site)

1960

1961

• Liquid-hydrogen centrifugal pump (A Site’s Hydrogen Loop)
• 15,000-rpm hydrogen axial-flow pumps (G Site’s Liquid Hydrogen Pump)
• Three-stage NERVA turbine and six-stage Hy-Nut turbine (G Site’s Turbine Facility)
• Gaseous-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen engine (J–1)
• Gaseous-hydrogen/liquid-fluorine engine (J–2)

1962

• Liquid-hydrogen centrifugal pump (A Site Hydrogen Loop)
• Liquid-hydrogen pump (C Site² Boiling Fluids Rig)
• Vibrational analysis on SERT I,³ Ranger accelerometer, and Sky Bolt instrumentation (E Stand⁴)
• Vibrational analysis on Mercury Evaporating Condensation Analysis (MECA) program (E Stand⁴)
• Lewis liquid-fluorine centrifugal turbopumps (Fluorine Pump Research Facility, I Site)
• Gaseous-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen engine (J–1)
• Copper hydrogen-oxygen engine for nuclear rocket heat transfer (J–1)
• Liquid-oxygen/liquid-hydrogen pressure-fed engine (J–2)
• Tank boiloffs (J–4¹⁶)

1963

• Impeller designs for liquid-hydrogen centrifugal pump (A Site’s Hydrogen Loop)
• Inducer performance in heat from nuclear rocket (C Site’s Boiling Fluids Rig)
• Impeller matching with centrifugal hydrogen pump (C Site’s Pump Rig)
• Vibrational analysis for MECA¹⁷ program (E Stand)
• Atlas load tests (E Stand)
• Hydrogen-water heat exchanger for nuclear rocket (F Site)
• External insulation system for Centaur tank (F Site)
• Pump with hydrogen-cooled bearings (G Site’s Turbine Building)
• Lewis liquid-fluorine centrifugal turbopumps (I Site)
• P&W RL–10 fluorine turbopumps (I Site)
• Hydrogen burnoffs for Hydrogen Heat Transfer (HHTF) design (J–1)
• Copper hydrogen-oxygen engine for nuclear rocket heat transfer (J–1)
• Throttling of a liquid-oxygen/liquid-hydrogen engine ( J–3¹⁸)
• Linde superinsulation and Centaur constrictively wrapped tank (J–3 and J–4)
• Fluorine/fluorine oxygen (FLOX) materials compatibility (J–5)

1964

• Impeller designs for liquid-hydrogen centrifugal pump (A Site’s Hydrogen Loop)
• Oxygen turbopump for the M–1 engine (A’s Site Oxygen Loop)
• NERVA engine bootstrapping and chilldown (B–1)
• Inducer performance in heat from nuclear rocket (C Site’s Boiling Fluids Rig)
• Slush hydrogen pumping (C Site’s Boiling Fluids Rig)
• Impeller matching with centrifugal hydrogen pump (C Site’s Pump Rig)
• Atlas/Centaur longitudinal and latitudinal dynamics (E Stand)
• Hydrogen-water heat exchanger for nuclear rocket (F Site)
• External insulation system for Centaur tank (F Site)
• Pump with hydrogen-cooled bearings (G Site’s Turbine Building)
• Small-scale axial-flow hydrogen pump (G Site’s Pump Building)
• Lewis liquid-fluorine centrifugal turbopumps and P&W RL–10 fluorine turbopumps (I Site)
• Injectors for hydrogen-oxygen engines; regeneratively cooled hydrogen engines (J–1)
• Linde superinsulation (J–3)
• Arthur D. Little gold Mylar insulation (J–3 and J–4)
• Fluorine/FLOX materials compatibility and fluorine spills (J–5)

1965

• Inducer blade loadings on a liquid-hydrogen centrifugal pump (A Site’s Hydrogen Loop)
• Impeller matching with centrifugal hydrogen pump (C’s Site Pump Rig)
• Centaur fairing loads (E Stand)
• Hydrogen-water heat exchanger for nuclear rocket (F Site)
• P&W RL–10 fluorine turbopumps (I Site)
• Injectors for hydrogen-oxygen engines (J-1)
• Regeneratively cooled hydrogen engines (J–1)
• K Site 13-ft tank system (J–2)

1966

• Inducer blade loadings on a liquid-hydrogen centrifugal pump (A Site’s Hydrogen Loop)
• NERVA engine turbopump, bootstrap, and chilldown (B–3)
• Minimal pressure required to pump hydrogen (C Site’s Boiling Fluids Rig)
• Impeller matching with centrifugal hydrogen pump (C Site’s Pump Rig)
• Atlas/Centaur post-wrinkling strength (E Stand)
• Hydrogen-water heat exchanger for nuclear rocket (F Site)
• Pratt & Whitney FLOX/methane turbopump (I Site)
• Injectors for hydrogen-oxygen engines (J-1)
• Regeneratively cooled hydrogen engines (J–1)
• Self-Evacuating Multilayer Insulation (SEMI) (J–3)
• 5-ft tank (K Site)

1967

• Four-stage axial-flow hydrogen pump (A Site’s Hydrogen Loop)
• Advanced Centaur boiloff (B–1)
• Atlas/Centaur bulkhead and duct dynamics (E Stand)
• Injectors for hydrogen-oxygen engines (J-1)
• Regeneratively cooled hydrogen engines (J–1)
• Arthur D. Little insulation (J–3)
• 13-ft tank and 9-ft tank (K Site)

1968

• Four-stage axial-flow hydrogen pump (A Site’s Hydrogen Loop)
• Advanced Centaur boiloff and outflow (B–1)
• Comparison of different inducer blade shapes and angles (C Site’s Boiling Fluids Rig)
• Atlas/Centaur duct dynamics (E Stand)
• Centaur tank cold shock (F Site)
• Injectors for hydrogen-oxygen engines (j-1)
• Regeneratively cooled hydrogen engines (J–1)
• Arthur D. Little insulation and copper heat transfer tank (J–3)
• 7-ft tank and 5-ft tank (K Site)

1969

• Advanced Centaur outflow (B–1)
• 5-ft tank and multilayer and self-evacuating insulation (K Site)

1970

• Shadowshield (K Site)

1971

• Shadowshield and multilayer insulation (K Site)

1972

• Centaur shroud half-scale, hinges, and jettison (B–3)
• Multilayer insulation (K Site)

1973

• Centaur shroud tanking, seal, and structural integrity (B–3)
• Cryogenic Storage Test Vehicle (K Site)

1974

• Centaur shroud twang and structural integrity (B–3)
• Liquid-oxygen choked flow (F Site)
• Cryogenic Storage Test Vehicle (K Site)

Footnotes

1. Plum Brook Ordnance Works (PBOW)
2. Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory (AERL)
3. Ohio State University (OSU)
4. Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
5. Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application (NERVA)
6. Nuclear Rocket Dynamics and Control Facility (B–3)
7. Space Power Facility (SPF)
8. Spacecraft Propulsion Research Facility (B–2)
9. Dynamics Stand (E Stand)
10. Hypersonic Tunnel Facility (HTF)
11. Hydraulics Research Laboratory (F Site)
12. Liquid Hydrogen Pump Facility (A Site)
13. Turbopump Facility (C Site)
14. Fluorine Pump Research Facility (I Site)
15. Materials Compatibility Facility (J-5)
16. Tank Test Facility (J-4)
17. Mercury Evaporating and Condensing Analysis (MECA)
18. Vacuum Environment Facility (J-3)