Part 1-The Early History of Rocketry

The Invention of Rockets

The earliest solid rocket fuel was a form of gunpowder

The earliest recorded mention of gunpowder comes from China late in the third century before Christ

Bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder were tossed into ceremonial fires during religious festivals

The imperfectly sealed tubes which were propelled by the fuel inspired the rocket invention

Rockets in Ancient TimesEarly Chinese rockets were used in

warfare and celebrations

By 1045 AD. the use of gunpowder and rocket was an integral aspect of Chinese military

In 1232 AD the Chinese used rockets to repel Mongols attacking the city of Kai-fung-fu

Arrival of Rockets in Europe Rockets arrived in Europe in 1300 AD

During the early introduction of rockets to Europe, they were used only as weapons

French army used rockets during their Hundred Years War against the English

Dutch military started using rockets in 1650

The Germans' first military rocket experiments began in 1668

Rockets for warfare(18th -19Th centuries)

As the 18th Century dawned, European military experts began to take a serious interest in rockets

In Britain, Sir William Congreve developed a rocket that could fire to about 9,000 feet

The British used the Congreve rockets against the United States in the War of 1812

During the World War I, rockets were first fired from aircraft

The French were the principal users of aerial rockets, which were used to shoot down enemy hydrogen gas-filled observation balloons

Rockets as Inventions(late 19th Century)

During the 19th century, rocket enthusiasts and inventors began to appear in almost every country

Claude Ruggieri, an Italian living in Paris, apparently rocketed small animals into space as early as 1806. Payloads were recovered by parachute

Major Drawback in rocket development

The type of fuel was the principal drawback to rockets throughout this period of development

Experiments were under way to develop a more powerful, liquid-propelled rocket

Pioneers in development of Liquid Propelled Rocket

In 1903, Konstantian Tsiolkovsky, a Russian school teacher, published a report that suggested the use of liquid propellants for rockets in order to achieve greater range. Tsiolkovsky stated that the speed and range of a rocket were limited by the exhaust velocity of escaping gases.

From Theory to PracticeIn early 20th Century as Wright

brothers were preparing to become the first men to fly, a young American named Robert H. Goddard was already designing rockets to probe the upper atmosphere and delve into space

Robert H. Goddard In 1926, Goddard launched the first liquid-

fueled rocket and laid the foundation for a technology that would eventually take man to the moon and beyond.

Fueled by liquid oxygen and gasoline, Robert Goddard's rocket flew for only 2.5 seconds, climbed 41 feet, and landed 184 feet away in a cabbage patch.

Dr. Hermann OberthJune 25,1894-Dec 28, 1989

A Hungarian-born German astrophysicist and engineer

Considered one of the founding fathers of rocketry and astronautics

president of the German Society for Space Travel

Wernher von BraunMarch 23, 1912 – June 16, 1977

A German rocket scientist, aerospace engineer, space architect, and one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during world war II and after war in the United States

Responsible for the design and realization of the V-2 combat rocket during World War II

The chief architect of the Saturn V launch vehicle, the super booster that propelled the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon

Breaking the Sound BarrierOctober 14, 1947-Chuck Yeager flew

X-1 at Mach 1

November 20, 1953- Scott Crossfield flew X-2 at Mach 2

September 27,1956-Milburn Apt was killed trying to fly at Mach 3

Space RaceStarted July 29, 1957

At the convention of the 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year, The United States announced its intent to launch an artificial satellite known as Vanguard by the spring of 1958

The Soviet Union succeeded in launching Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957

Sputnik First artificial satellite in space

Built and launched by the Soviet Union

Sputnik 1 was launched on October 4, 1957

Sent radio signals to Earth and determined the density of upper atmosphere

Sputnik 2 was launched on November 3, carried a dog, Laika

Explorer 1

The US first artificial satellite

Launched on February 1, 1958

carried scientific instrumentation and detected the theorized Van Allen radiation belt.

To learn more, click on:http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-

12/TRC/Rockets/history_of_rockets.html