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Credit & Copyright: Esther Goddard, from the
Clark University archive
Explanation:
Robert H. Goddard,
considered the father of modern rocketry, was born in
Worcester Massachusetts in 1882.
As a 16 year old, Goddard read H.G. Wells' science fiction classic
"War Of The Worlds"
and dreamed of space flight.
By 1926
he had designed, built, and flown the world's first liquid fuel rocket.
Launched 100 years ago,
on March 16, 1926 from his aunt Effie's
farm in Auburn Massachusetts,
the rocket dubbed "Nell", rose to an
altitude of 41 feet in a flight that lasted about 2 1/2 seconds.
In this posed photo
Goddard stands next to the 10 foot tall rocket, holding
the launch stand frame.
To achieve a stable flight without the need for fins, the rocket's heavy
motor was located at the top, fed by lines from
liquid oxygen and gasoline fuel tanks at the bottom.
Widely recognized as a
gifted experimenter
and
engineering genius,
his
rockets were many years ahead
of their time.
Goddard was awarded over 200 patents in rocket technology,
most of them after his death in 1945.
A liquid fuel rocket constructed on principles
developed by Goddard landed
humans on the Moon in 1969.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: rocket
Publications with words: rocket
See also:
- APOD: 2026 March 19 Á Launch Plume: SpaceX Jellyfish
- APOD: 2025 February 17 Á SpaceX Rocket Launch Plume over California
- Rocket Engine Fireplace
- APOD: 2024 March 12 Á A Galaxy Shaped Rocket Exhaust Spiral
- Falcon Heavy Boostback Burn
- APOD: 2024 January 2 Á Rocket Transits Rippling Moon
- The Falcon and the Redstone