WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE MUSEUM Photos: Ed Straten, T. Dungan, Rod Givens, Cliff Bossie    The V-2 program at White Sands, initiated after World War II, involved the testing and launching of captured German V-2 rockets. It aimed to develop and advance missile technology, serving as an essential step for the United States in understanding rocket dynamics and propulsion systems. The program included a historic hardened control blockhouse and launch pads, facilitating numerous test launches that contributed to the foundations of modern rocketry. Research conducted during this time laid the groundwork for future space exploration and military missile programs, showcasing the strategic importance of the work done at White Sands Proving Ground.    The White Sands Missile Range V-2 rocket has been on display since the late 1950s. It is one of many V-2s assembled for testing at White Sands Proving Ground after the war. The V-2, painted with a white and black pattern, was exhibited for nearly 50 years in front of the headquarters building on Headquarters Avenue, approximately 75 meters from other missiles and the museum, where it deteriorated significantly due to exposure to sun, rain, and sandstorms.    On September 12, 2002, the rocket was removed from its long-time pedestal and sent to the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson, Kansas, for complete refurbishment. It returned in early May 2004 and is now displayed in a specially designed shelter at the edge of Missile Park, fully protected from the elements. The paint scheme was changed from white and black to yellow and black to match the first V-2 launched at White Sands Proving Ground on April 16, 1946. During refurbishment, one side of the V-2 was left unskinned for educational purposes, exposing the internal components such as the rocket motor, two fuel tanks, pumps, plumbing, and framework. The restored V-2 has been on display for the past twenty years in the V-2 Building at Missile Park. THE WSMR MUSEUM'S V-2 ROCKET IS HOUSED IN THE V-2 BUILDING AT MISSILE PARK HERMES A-1 (WASSERFALL COPY) IN MISSILE PARK    In 2002, the WSMR V-2 was removed from its pedestal, where it had been displayed for years, and transported to the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center. This relocation was undertaken for an extensive 18-month restoration process managed by the team at the Cosmosphere Restoration Lab. This work represented the lab's fourth V-2 restoration project. The significance of this project was underscored by the considerable amount of concrete that had to be removed from the base of the rocket, indicating the difficulty of the work. White Sands had another engine available for use during this process, which alleviated some of the challenges. Even so, numerous new parts had to be fabricated to fully complete the restoration. RESTORATION PHOTOS PHOTOS BELOW SHOW THE WSMR V-2 IN ITS FORMER POSITION OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM AND MISSILE PARK, WHERE IT STOOD FROM THE LATE FIFTIES UNTIL 2002

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