Saturn V Space Vehicle
Moon rocket test article in Huntsville, Alabama. Added to the National Register in 1978, and a National Historic Landmark.
What it is
The Saturn V Dynamic Test Vehicle, designated SA-500D, is a prototype Saturn V rocket used by NASA to test the performance of the rocket when vibrated to simulate the shaking which subsequent rockets would experience during launch. It was the first full-scale Saturn V completed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Though SA-500D never flew, it was instrumental in the development of the Saturn V rocket which propelled the first human missions to the Moon as part of the Apollo program. Built under the direction of Wernher von Braun, it served as the test vehicle for all of the Saturn support facilities at MSFC.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Structure |
| Address | Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL |
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | Nov 22, 1978 |
| Listed for | Engineering, Transportation, Exploration and settlement |
| Level of significance | National |
| Reference number | 78000500 |
| Type of place | test article, Saturn V, exhibit |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 structure |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL |
| Coordinates | 34.7101° N, 86.6558° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Huntsville | 78 listed places in Huntsville → |
| Nearest national park unit | Russell Cave National Monument · 51 miles · on Park Atlas |
Explore
Map
Nearby in Madison County
Local history books for Huntsville
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Alabama
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Saturn V Space Vehicle listed on the National Register?
Nov 22, 1978. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Where is Saturn V Space Vehicle?
Tranquility Base, Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. The nearest national park unit is Russell Cave National Monument, 51 miles away.
Source: Russell Cave National Monument
Where is the nomination form for Saturn V Space Vehicle?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Is there cell service at Saturn V Space Vehicle?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 78000500. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.