This week in 1961, NASA launched the first test flight of the Saturn I rocket. The uncrewed suborbital flight carried a dummy upper stage filled with water to an altitude of 84.8 miles. The flight accomplished its objective of verifying the aerodynamical and structural design of the Saturn I booster. The rocket stood 162 feet tall, weighed 460 tons, and employed eight H-1 engines. Today, Marshall is playing a vital role in the Artemis program by developing the Space Launch System, the backbone of NASA’s exploration plans and the only rocket capable of sending humans to the Moon and Mars. The NASA History Program is responsible for generating, disseminating, and preserving NASA’s remarkable history and providing a comprehensive understanding of the institutional, cultural, social, political, economic, technological, and scientific aspects of NASA’s activities in aeronautics and space. For more pictures like this one and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the Marshall History Program’s webpage. (NASA)