Skip to main content

Link to Smithsonian homepage

Smithsonian Music

Main menu

  • Calendar
  • Listen
  • Learn
    • Ask Smithsonian
    • Collections Spotlights
    • Music Stories
  • Watch
  • Blog

One-Ply Spruce Rib, Nose Fairing, Poseidon C-3

Object Details

Summary
This is a single ply of Sitka spruce wood used in the nine-ply sections that formed the nose fairing for the U.S. Navy's Poseidon C-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile. During the missile's launch, the nose fairing and nose cap at its tip protected the reentry vehicle and its nuclear warheads from air friction temperatures approaching 1000 degrees. Explosive devices blew the nose fairing off shortly after the missile entered space. Poseidon C-3s were deployed from 1971 into the early 1990s. Lockheed Missiles & Space Company made and donated this object to NASM.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Manufacturer
Lockheed Missiles and Space Co.
Credit Line
Gift of Lockheed Missiles & Space Company
Materials
Plexiglas
Wood
Varnish
Foam
Adhesive
Ink
Dimensions
Overall: 2ft 9in. x 3in. x 9/16in. (83.82 x 7.62 x 1.43cm)
Type
CRAFT-Missile & Rocket Parts
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Link to Smithsonian homepage

  • About
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
Back to Top