Rocket Engine Nozzle on a Museum Support

The bell of a big rocket engine like this is built from many thin metal tubes laid side by side. Fuel is pumped down through those tubes before it is burned, which keeps the nozzle from melting in its own exhaust. Engineers call it regenerative cooling. In this rocket engine jigsaw puzzle the retired engine rests on a black steel stand in a museum hall, its pumps and plumbing knotted around the narrow end. Up close, the tubes look almost woven.