Robert Goddard (scientist)

Robert Hutchings Goddard (October 5, 1882 – August 10, 1945) was one of the pioneers of modern rocketry. Though his work in the field was revolutionary, he was often ridiculed for his theories, which were ahead of their time. He received little recognition during his own lifetime, but would eventually come to be called the "father of modern rocketry" for his life's work.

Education and early work

After receiving his B.S. degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1908, he was a Fellow in Physics at Clark University, receiving his A.M. in 1910 and his Ph.D. in 1911. By 1914, he was designing rocket motors, with financial assistance from the Smithsonian Institution. By 1919, he was writing about the possibilities of Moon flight.

Related Topics:
B.S. - Worcester Polytechnic Institute - 1908 - Clark University - A.M. - 1910 - Ph.D. - 1911 - 1914 - Motor - Smithsonian Institution - 1919 - Moon - Flight

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Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket on March 16, 1926 at Auburn, Massachusetts. His journal entry of the event was notable for its laconic understatement: "The first flight with a rocket using liquid propellants was made yesterday at Aunt Effie's farm." The rocket, which was dubbed "Nell" and about the size of a human arm, rose just 41 feet during a 2.5-second flight that ended in a cabbage field, but it was an important demonstration that liquid-fuel propellants were possible.

Related Topics:
Liquid-fueled - March 16 - 1926 - Auburn, Massachusetts - Propellant - Human - Arm

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Not all of Goddard's early work was geared towards space travel. He developed the basic idea of the bazooka and, using a music rack for a launcher, demonstrated the weapon at Aberdeen Proving Ground two days before the Armistice that ended World War I. Another Clark University researcher continued Goddard's work on the bazooka, leading to the weapon used in World War II.

Related Topics:
Bazooka - Aberdeen Proving Ground - Armistice - World War I - World War II

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