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Space History Photo: Drop Test at Lunar Landing Research Facility

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space history, LLRF, lunar landing research facility
The LLRF was designed to simulate impacts. (Image credit: NASA | Bob Nye)

This historical photo from the U.S. space agency, taken in May of 1974, shows the Langley drop test facility where aircraft crashes can be simulated.

The grid screen at the left of the facility is used as a backdrop for the impacts to allow engineers to measure angles and impact speeds. This facility was originally built to test a lunar lander simulator.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).

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