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Blue Streak assembly line at de Havilland?s factory
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Blue Streak assembly line at de Havilland?s factory
Blue Streak assembly line at de Havilland?s factory at Stevenage, 16 August 1961. Date: 1961
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Media ID 18387025
© The Royal Aeronautical Society (National Aerospace Library)/Mary Evans Picture Library
1961 Assembly Ballistic Ballistics Missile Missiles Rocket Rockets Stevenage Streak
EDITORS COMMENTS
In this evocative black-and-white photograph, the Blue Streak assembly line at de Havilland's factory in Stevenage comes to life with a frenetic energy as workers meticulously construct Britain's first independently developed ballistic missile. The date is August 16, 1961, and the scene is one of intense focus and precision. The Blue Streak missile, a key component of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent during the Cold War, was a two-stage liquid-propelled ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead over intercontinental ranges. Its assembly required a high degree of skill and attention to detail, as each component was carefully inspected and assembled to ensure the missile's reliability and accuracy. In the photograph, we see a row of missile sections, each one in various stages of completion. Workers in protective gear stand over the sections, carefully attaching wires, installing fuel tanks, and performing other critical tasks. The air is thick with the smell of chemicals and the sound of machinery, as the assembly line hums with activity. The Blue Streak missile program was a significant undertaking for de Havilland, and this photograph offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the factory during its production. The missile's assembly was a testament to the ingenuity and expertise of the British engineering community, and this photograph stands as a reminder of the pivotal role that de Havilland and the United Kingdom played in the development of ballistic missile technology during the Cold War era.
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