Man exploring Florida Everglades finds massive abandoned NASA facility with 1960s rocket left behind
While exploring the Florida Everglades, this American came across an abandoned NASA facility with a 1960s Aerojet rocket left behind.
Instagram user Captain Mike Friedopfer explored the area with a couple of friends and was amazed to discover what NASA had left at the site.
The rocket was built in the 1960s, but NASA decided to abandon the project late in the decade.
That is what led to it being left in the Everglades.
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NASA was exploring the use of solid rocket fuel
Described as the largest solid-fuel motor ever built, the rocket lies abandoned in its concrete silo, forgotten even by those at NASA.
It was built by Aerojet-General, and the AJ260 rocket was designed to use solid fuel technology.
There was also the potential for it to be used in Apollo’s Saturn V.
With that in mind, the U.S. Air Force provided Aerojet with $3 million to construct the manufacturing and test site found by the explorers.
The location lies less than five miles away from the Everglades National Park.
Transporting the rocket to the site was a challenge due to its size.
When it arrived, it was then placed into a 180-foot deep concrete silo.
However, despite its potential, tests proved problematic for the Aerojet rocket.
Problems led to Aerojet abandoning the project
Initial tests went well, but the third test saw a rocket nozzle ejected.
That led to a propellant made of hydrochloric acid spreading across the wetlands.
It damaged crops and caused major disruption to residents.
Such was the volatility of the acids that it even damaged the paint on Floridians’ cars.
These tests took place from 1965-1967.
But in 1969, NASA had decided to abandon the project in favor of liquid fuel.
Workers at the Everglades plant were laid off, and NASA and Aerojet abandoned the facility.
Remarkably, the rocket remains in this silo to this very day.
In 2013, the shed around the silo was dismantled, with the silo itself covered with 33-ton concrete beams.
This is what the explorers were able to find and share with followers on Instagram.
The abandoned AJ260 now stands as a reminder of the space race.
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