Brief History of Rocket Technology

Wernher von Braun was a German rocket engineer and space architect. He was the technical director of Nazi Germany's missile program and also became the United States' lead rocket engineer during the 1950s and 1960s. He was key in the design of the German V2 rocket (Vengeance Weapon 2). Though von Braun was part of the Nazi party, and did serve Germany during WWII, he was not a nazi at heart, and wanted to explore space more than anything else; his biggest goals were to land men on the moon and mars. He attained one of these goals, not from Germany, but from the USA, as he was employed by NASA to work on several programs during the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union in the thick of Cold War.

As von Braun designed the first man made object to enter space, the V2 rocket, he was also a large part of the design of the Saturn V rocket, the first rocket to bring man into space.

Konstantin E. Tsiolkovski

Wan Hu with his invention!

Werher von Braun (center) at the Peenemünde rocket test facility in 1941

First Rocket used as Transportation!

Konstantin E. Tsiolkovski, 1857 to 1935

Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun, 1912 to 1977

Early rockets were primarily used for festivities as well as limited use in warfare.

Wan Hu, however had created the concept of using rockets for transportation.

Known as the father of modern astronautics, Konstantin E. Tsiolkovski proposed the idea of space exploration using rockets! He proved rockets could be used for space flight and is known for the rocket equation.

He also proposed ideas such as the space elevator and using liquid oxygen and alcohol.

Moreover, he influenced Wernher Von Braun who invented the V2 Rocket...

2 large kites, a chair, and 47 rockets were all attached together, and Wan Hu, with the help of 47 rocket lighters, attempted the first manned rocket flight. His fate is unknown, but you can probably guess what happened!

1 A.D

1600 A.D.

1200 A. D.

1500 A.D.

1400 A.D.

Chinese Fire Arrows (1232 A.D.)

Rockets at War

Gunpowder, Early rocket fuel!

Robert H. Goddard, 1882 to 1945

USA vs. USSR

SPACE RACE

As a sequel to Bacon's quote:

In 1420, Joanes de Fontana invented a surface-running rocket powered torpedo to fire at enemy ships.

In the first century, the Chinese had a simple form of gun powder already, which was steadily refined as the years went on. This powder was used in the same way fireworks are used now.

Robert Goddard was an American professor, physicist, and inventor.

He is credited with creating and building the world's first liquid-fueled rocket. The first successful launch was on March 16, 1926. Goddard and his team launched 34 rockets between 1926 and 1941, achieving altitudes as high as 2.6 km (1.6 mi) and speeds as high as 885 km/h (550 mph). This was a huge improvement over early rockets.

During the Mongol invasion and subsequent Conquest of the Jin dynasty (Northern China) in 1211, when the invasion started to 1232 when Northern China had been conquered by the Mongols, the Chinese used a rudimentary type of rocket propelled artillery to fight back. These were known as "fire arrows", and consisted of a bamboo tube, filled with gunpowder, and attached to an arrow. Initially, the arrows were launched from a conventional bow, but, the Chinese soon realized that the arrow itself could be launched under it's own power when the gunpowder inside the tube was ignited.This was the first rocket, and it is recorded to first have been used in 1232, but may have been used eariler in the conflict. .

This simple form of gunpowder was made from saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal dust

1. USSR launches Sputnik 1, October 4, 1957.

2. USSR launches dog on Sputnik 2. First living organism launched from earth into space larger than a microbe.

3. USA launches Explorer 1 Janurary 31, 1958 First American satelite.

4. USSR launches Yuri Gagarin into orbit on April 12, 1961. (Yuri's Night). First human into space.

5. Alan Shepard becomes first American in space on May 5, 1961. John Glenn becomes first American to orbit the earth on February 20, 1962.

6. USSR leadership falters on space program 1964-65. Both soviet Soyuz and N1 rockets fail to launch correctly.

7. NASA performs rendezvous and spacewalks on Gemini program, 1962-66.

8. Americans pass Russians with Apollo 8, sending 3 men into lunar orbit, 1968.

9. Space Race ends on July 21, 1969, when Neil Armstrong steps foot on the moon.

The Great Space Race