Reaction Motors in New Jersey

By Shireesh Kumar, NJIT

America's first Rocket Engine was created in New Jersy. In this Paper we are going to go through the interesting facts about the Rocket Engine History in New Jersy.

The American Rocket Society was established in 1930 was the first society to build rockets. At that time every American was curious about extraterrestial travel to space. A team of four members of the society (Lovell Lawrence,Jr, John Sheshta, James H. Wyld, and Hugh Franklin) then begin testing rocket and rocket engines beleiving that one day they could go to space. All these young scientists were from the subburbs of the Bergen county area. They first started testing in the town of Franklin lakes, Bergen County in New Jersy in 1940's. The Franklin Lakes facility was mostly designed by Wyld. The facility conducted "static" tests of rocket engines Engines from 300 to 3,000 lbs. thrust were tested, using liquid oxygen, alcohol, or gasoline as fuel. Engines tested at the site were primarily intended for JATO ( Jet Assisted Take Off) use.

Franklin Lakes Testing Facility

It looks like a abandoned site now , but once long back in 40's it is believed that this site played an important role in the early rocket and rocket engine tests. Below are the pics of that site which really needs to be taken care of as National Historic Site.

RMI(Reaction Motors Inc.), First Test Site at Franklin Lakes

The Bunker:

Rocket Sled (buried under sand and grass)