Lesson 3

History of Rockets

Early Rockets• It is unknown when the first rockets were

developed. • The Chinese made the first solid propellant

rockets between the 3rd century B.C. and the 1st century A.D.

• By 1232, the Chinese were using “fire arrows” in war.

• Due to China’s belief in Yin and Yang, it never

• Understood the action-reaction principle or process of combustion.

Development• The Mongols picked up where the Chinese

left off and introduced rockets to the rest of world.

• Rockets quickly became a military tool in many countries.

• By the 18th century, most European powers used artillery rockets.

• German fireworks maker, Johann Schmidlap invented the step rocket now known as staging.

Development, cont.• William Hale introduced spin stabilization,

which led to the process of launching instead of using guide-sticks.

• Hale perfected the use of hydraulic presses and machine mass-producing of rockets.

• Other applications of rockets including rocket harpoons and flares.

• Experiments were made to produce rocket-propelled cars and torpedoes.

Advances• A Russian teacher, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky,

wrote about rockets, including the article “Outside the Earth” in 1896, which described rockets with liquid-fuel engines.

• In 1903 he designed a rocket capable of going into outer space.

• Tsiolokovsky correctly calculated the Earth’s escape velocity and necessary orbital velocity.

Liquid-fuel Rockets• The first liquid-fuel rocket was made in the

U.S.• In World War I, Goddard worked on tube-

launched rockets.• In a 1919 paper, he mentioned a rocket

capable of reaching the moon.• On March 16, 1926, the world’s first liquid-

rocket took flight.• Goddard was awarded 214 patents for his

rockets.

Spreading the Word• Wernher von Braun, a German scientist

under Walter Dornberger, the head of the German Army’s rocket projects.

• von Braun helped develop Germany’s A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 and V-2 rockets.

• von Braun continued to design bigger and better rockets.

von Braun• When Allies arrived in Germany during WWI,

German scientists like von Braun fled to the U.S. or the Soviet Union.

• von Braun came to America.• Remaining German V-2s were taken by the

U.S. and the Soviet Union after the war. These became the basis for rocket design and started the space race.

Space Race• Started in White Sands, New Mexico• Tested V-2s and developed new designs.• In 1916, the Vanguard was tested.• The Soviets continued producing V-2s and

quickly adapted technology to produce larger rockets.

• Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviets launched the first Earth-orbiting satellite Sputnik.

• The U.S. entered the race Jan. 31 , 1958 with Explorer I.

Space Race, cont.• The Soviets advanced in 1959 with Luna 1, 2

and 3• Luna 2, which launched Sept. 2, 1959,

impacted the moon, while Luna 3 carried the first camera into space and captured images of the Moon’s lunar far side.

• April 12, 1961, Vostok I launched and 12 minutes later, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth.

• The U.S. and NASA sent Alan Sheppard into space in May 1961.

On the Moon• The U.S. was still led by von Braun when it

entered the Apollo program. • The first success for the U.S. came on Dec.

21, 1968, when the Saturn V took three astronauts around the moon on the Apollo 8 mission.

• The Soviets attempted to launch the N1 on Feb. 21, 1969, however, the engine stopped after 65 seconds and N1 feel to the Earth.

• The Soviets N1 program was grounded by complications.

On the Moon• The U.S. was still led by von Braun when it

entered the Apollo program. • The first success for the U.S. came on Dec.

21, 1968, when the Saturn V took three astronauts around the moon on the Apollo 8 mission.

• The Soviets attempted to launch the N1 on Feb. 21, 1969, however, the engine stopped after 65 seconds and N1 feel to the Earth.

• The Soviets N1 program was grounded by complications.

On the Moon• The U.S. was still led by von Braun when it

entered the Apollo program. • The first success for the U.S. came on Dec.

21, 1968, when the Saturn V took three astronauts around the moon on the Apollo 8 mission.

• The Soviets attempted to launch the N1 on Feb. 21, 1969, however, the engine stopped after 65 seconds and N1 feel to the Earth.

• The Soviets N1 program was grounded by complications.

On the Moon, cont.

• On July 16, 1969, another Saturn V took Apollo 11 to the Moon and on July 20, U.S. astronauts walked the surface of the moon.

• Other countries saw the advantages of space vehicles and started to develop them.

• NASA experimented with space shuttles.• Note: To this day, rockets remain liquid-

powered.

Sources• Taken from A Short History of Rockets by

Tad Theno• Compiled by the Oklahoma State

Cooperative Extension Office