Public Display
After all tests were complete, the SA-500D was assembled again in Huntsville, this time for public exhibition at the Alabama Space Science Center, on land carved out of the north edge of Marshall Space Flight Center. Transport of the rocket, along with the Saturn I which would be erected vertically, to the museum, took place June 28, 1969. The rocket would be displayed lying down on the southern edge of a rocket park with its predecessor rockets, near a Saturn 1 standing erect and a moonscape complete with model Lunar Module and a flag. SA-500D was installed in 1969, and the (renamed) Alabama Space and Rocket Center opened in 1970 showcasing articles that could otherwise only be seen by NASA and Army workers at Redstone Arsenal. The first stage sat on a low-boy trailer and the others in cradles. The instrument unit was put on display inside the museum, and connector rings were given roofs and converted to educational rides for the museum.
SA-500D was added to the List of Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1980 and declared a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1987.
In 1989, the museum assumed its current name, U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Read more about this topic: Saturn V Dynamic Test Vehicle
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