Zero Gravity Research Facility (B-2)
Why it's listed
Beneath the grounds of NASA's Lewis Research Center in Cleveland lies a 510-foot shaft built to create weightlessness. A 28-foot-diameter concrete-lined shaft holds a 20-foot-diameter steel vacuum chamber, 470 feet high, which is pumped down before each test. Experiment vehicles fall freely for about 5.15 seconds, or are launched upward by a pneumatic accelerator for roughly 10 seconds of free fall, then are caught in a container of polystyrene pellets. A ground-level building houses a shop, control room and clean room. Researchers used the facility for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs and for Centaur rocket work, studying liquids, gases and combustion under reduced gravity. It is considered significant as NASA's only facility able to study how liquids behave in low gravity. That knowledge, especially about liquid sloshing, was essential to developing Centaur and Saturn upper stages. The facility remained in service for space shuttle experiments.
Significance in brief: It is described as the only facility in NASA's inventory able to study the behavior of liquids in low gravity. Its research on liquid sloshing was essential to designing high-energy upper stages such as Centaur and Saturn, which carried Americans to the moon and sent probes like Viking, Voyager and Mariner to the planets.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 85002801, listed October 3, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Lewis Research Center, Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | October 3, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002801 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1966-Present |
| Architect / builder | NASA |
| Areas of significance | Other, Engineering, Science |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated October 3, 1985 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition, unaltered, on its original site, and in active service supporting space shuttle experiments. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.41221, -81.86396 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 85002801.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8069520
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.