[230] Conducting a pump test in Roswell shop, Fall 1938

Photographer

Esther C. Goddard

Preview

Description

Photograph of Robert Goddard and his team in the Roswell, New Mexico workshop conducting a pump test, Fall 1938.

Beginning in September 1938 and running through September 1941, Robert Goddard would work on developing high-speed centrifugal turbine-driven pumps for liquid propellant rockets. By 1938, Goddard felt he had covered everything needed for successful high-flying rockets -- except for a turbine that could drive high-speed pumps to force propellants into the chamber. So, Goddard and his team spent the Fall of 1938 conducting a thorough study of twenty proving-stand tests with five models of small, centrifugal pumps. These tests laid the groundwork for Goddard's P-Series of tests (P1-P34), which began January 1939 and ran into October 1941, and consisted of a variety of flight and static tests with pump-fed rockets. Ultimately, the P-Series would expose the unsustainability of Goddard's objectives working with large and more complex turbine rockets. Combined with his longtime aversion towards scientific collaboration, and a counterintuitive approach to testing that often emphasized changing several variables at a time, the P-Series saw him biting off more than he could chew.The P-Series of tests can be seen in Reel 9 and Reel 10 of The Goddard Rocket Film Reels.

'The Goddard Rocket Researches: A Photographic Record' is an annotated photo album covering Robert H. Goddard's work and experimentation with rocketry. It was assembled and curated by Esther Goddard sometime after her husband's passing in 1945. Additionally, almost all of the photographs were taken by Esther herself.

Photographs were scanned at 400dpi.

Date Taken

Fall 1938

Type

image

Genre

photograph

Format

jpg

Keywords

Robert Goddard, rocketry, Roswell, New Mexico, liquid-fuel rockets, pump-fed rockets, turbines, turbine-driven pump

Recommended Citation

Goddard, Esther C., "[230] Conducting a pump test in Roswell shop, Fall 1938" (1938). The Goddard Rocket Researches: A Photographic Record [Individual Photographs]. 231.
https://commons.clarku.edu/goddardphotographs/231

Rights

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