Photo: Live Auctions
Christmas shopping can often seem like a thankless task for someone looking for that perfect gift for a friend or a loved one. If you have a space lover on your list, that can be even harder — what to buy for someone whose head is above the clouds? Fortunately, the folks at Live Auctioneers have put something up for auction that meets all those criteria: a fully restored Rocketdyne S-3D engine. If you have deep pockets, this might be just what you are looking for!
The Rocketdyne S-3D was produced in 1956 and 1961 for use on Jupiter, Thor missiles, and the Juno II rocket. Its design was used later as the basis for the H-1 rocket engine of the Saturn I and I-B. The RP-1 (kerosene) and liquid oxygen engine were fairly strong, too- they produced nearly 135,000 pounds of thrust at sea level. The S-3D first flew in 1957.
Photo: NASA
Generally, pieces like the one offered for sale are limited to museums and educational facilities, but this one has no such limitations. The one thing that will keep all but the deepest pockets from purchasing it is its starting price: $100,000 is the opening bid that Live Auctions is requesting. That probably rules out almost every reader of this article from bidding, but it is interesting to note that it is a real rocket engine for sale.
