Hypersonic Facilities Complex
(1969-L-02164): This winter 1969 view, complete with a dusting of snow, illustrates how the large vacuum spheres dominate the Hypersonic Facilities Complex. They are 41, 60, and 100 feet in diameter. Spheres were used because their double-curved surfaces strongly resist buckling inward, making them the most structurally efficient shape for large vacuum vessels.
Credit: NASA
Image Number: 1969-L-02164
Date: March 7, 1969
Hypersonic Facilities Complex
(1969-L-02164): This winter 1969 view, complete with a dusting of snow, illustrates how the large vacuum spheres dominate the Hypersonic Facilities Complex. They are 41, 60, and 100 feet in diameter. Spheres were used because their double-curved surfaces strongly resist buckling inward, making them the most structurally efficient shape for large vacuum vessels.
Credit: NASA
Image Number: 1969-L-02164
Date: March 7, 1969