One Engine Test

When I was a young girl in the early 60's, my father worked for North American Rockwell International. We lived in southern California, where a division called Rocketdyne built engines for Saturn rockets, and other rocket engines. He was transferred to a secluded test facility up in the Santa Susana mountains, and one day they had a family day, or "Open House".

My family got dressed up to go see "daddy's work" on a Saturday morning. We toured
some buildings, drove past some Secret Buildings (that we weren't allowed to see) and saw a short movie about a very special space craft that was being created. I was amazed. It was different from the Apollo rockets that went to the moon that broke off in stages--so that only a small bit returned home--it was a rocket/plane that would fly back to earth at the end of the mission. The reason we needed this type of craft was to support the space station, where scientists would make discoveries and look at deep space through telescopes. At that time, the future seemed so far away almost impossible.

The highlight of the morning was when we got to watch a test of one of the engines. We rode a little tram out some winding road between sandstone boulders and sage brush. People started to talk in hushed tones. We stopped by a little path that wound around some more rocks and opened up on a clearing with three sets of small bleachers. They weren't very high, about 3 levels of benches that overlooked a small canyon of rocks. We all chose our seats and looked out toward the test stand about 200 yards away.

The rocket engine test stand looks like a tower of pipes and tanks stacked and connected altogether perched over a cement "bucket". The bucket is made of concrete and its purpose is to protect the ground and direct all the energy away from the engine so it doesn't burn up the stand and everything around it.
So we waited. Families and employees spoke in hushed tones, anticipating the test. My sister and I looked at each other and smiled. This was so cool. At first, we heard a hissing sound coming from the stand. My father leaned in and explained that the sound was the sprinkler system spraying down the concrete so it wouldn't burn up (think: opening up a fire hydrant). They used lots of water to keep things cool.
Then it started, a flash of fire, the steam clouds billowing up and rolling through the small canyon. More impressive than the huge steam cloud, was the sound. The roar of the engine was so loud, you could actually see the sound waves concussing through the steam. I laughed, wide-eyed and looked over at my sister, who was trying to talk/yell to my smiling father. My mother nodding to me, smiling, mouthed the words, “I told you!”

I tried to take it all in and write it in my memory, the sights, sounds, feelings. I never wanted to forget that amazing time when I was a part of history being made, science being discovered, and anticipation of space travel.