rocketry – n. the science of building and launching rockets (Webster’s Dictionary)

First inspiration

Working out the theory

Building the first rockets

Convincing the world

Taking man into space

First inspiration

Jules Verne's 1865 science fiction novel 'From the Earth to the Moon' inspired many early theorists of rocket science.

Other famous novels of Jules Vernes.

Working out the theory

Almost all theory of space flight was done by three men from1600 to 1900.

Johannes Kepler – planets moved around in elliptical orbits

Isaac Newton – laws of motion; explained planetary motion

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky – worked out all the basic equations of rocketry

Working out the theory

Johannes Kepler

• German mathematician

• figured out the equations for orbiting planets and sattelites in 1609

• showed that planets moved in ellipses rather than circles

Working out the theory

Isaac Newton

• published a book explaining the basic laws of force, motion and gravitation in 1687• invented calculus• showed how the force of gravity causes planetary orbits

Working out the theory

Early rocket designs by Tsiolkovsky

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

• Russian school teacher• figured out all the basic equations for rocketry in 1903• concluded that oxygen and hydrogen would be the most powerful fuels to use• said that rockets should be built in stages called rocket trains• his rocket designs were used for the moon landing

Building the first rockets

• an American who is now called “the father of modern rocketry”• developed the equations and designs independent of the Russian scientists• 1926 – he launched the world’s 1st liquid fueled rocket• invented everything required for modern rocketry

Robert Goddard

Convincing the World

Hermann Oberth

• 1929 – published “The Rocket Into Interplanetary space”• the book convinced the world that the rocket is indeed a feasible space vehicle• this is important because governments and other agencies started putting more time and money into rocketry

Taking man into space

Wernher Von Braun• German physicist• developed and launched the German V2 rocket, the 1st rocket capable of reaching space• surrendered to the Americans after WWII• led the American space exploration program• was responsible for developing the Saturn rockets which eventually led to the moon landing

http://my.execpc.com/~culp/space/history.html

http://www.solarviews.com//eng/history.htm

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/history/timeline.cfm?Section=1

http://www.warmus.com/images/Misc.%20images/Jules%20Verne%20Captain%20Nemo.jpg

http://www.ufo.se/ufofiles/issue_4/images/vernebok.gif

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/TRC/Rockets/IMAGES/History4.gif

http://teacherweb.com/in/phms/scholz/rockets.jpe

http://www.turbophoto.com/space/webart/shuttle-launch-med.jpg

http://www.racine.ra.it/planet/testi/Dis/brahe.jpg

http://www.spacefame.org/newton.jpg

http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/exhibits/treasures/images/newton.gif

http://www.postcommunist.de/home/pix/bilder/publikationen/klein/band1.jpg

http://www.sputnikbook.com/images/gallery/Godlk.jpg

References