Major Developments in Space Vessels

The mighty space rockets of today are the result of more than 2,000 years of invention, experimentation, and discovery. First by observation and inspiration and then by methodical research, the foundations for modern rocketry were laid. Often lost in the shadows of time, early rocket pioneers “pushed the envelope” by creating rocket-propelled devices for land, sea, air, and space. When the scientific principles governing motion were discovered, rockets graduated from toys and novelties to serious devices for commerce, war, travel, and research. This work led to many of the most amazing discoveries of our time.

The early era of modern space exploration was driven by a "Space Race" between the Soviet Union and the United States. The launch of the first human-made object to orbit Earth, the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1, on 4 October 1957, and the first Moon landing by the American Apollo 11 mission on 20 July 1969 are often taken as landmarks for this initial period. The Soviet space program achieved many of the first milestones, including the first living being in orbit in 1957, the first human spaceflight (Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1) in 1961, the first spacewalk (by Alexei Leonov) on 18 March 1965, the first automatic landing on another celestial body in 1966, and the launch of the first space station (Salyut 1) in 1971. After the first 20 years of exploration, focus shifted from one-off flights to renewable hardware, such as the Space Shuttle program, and from competition to cooperation as with the International Space Station (ISS).

Historical to Modern Approach of the Science

The earliest known rockets were used by the Chinese in the 3rd century B.C. They were the first to use a solid rocket fuel. They would put gunpowder in bamboo tubes and throw them into fires to ward off evil spirits. By 1000 A.D., they were using them in war. Around 1300 A.D. gunpowder and then rockets were adopted in Europe. It wasn’t until the end of the 1800s that the idea of riding rockets to get to places (like the moon) became popular. 1st proposed by Jules Verne in his book From the Earth to the Moon in 1865.

Konstatin Tsiolkovsky(1857-1935) was a Russian who never launched a rocket. But in 1903, he figured out all the equations required for basic rocketry. The Tsiolkovsky Formula gives the relationship between rocket speed, the speed of the gas at exit, and the mass of the rocket and propellant.

Robert Goddard(1882-1945) an American scientist, in 1914 he achieved 1st patent for a multi-stage rocket. Also, launched the 1st liquid-fueled rocket in 1926. Apart from this, he developed Gyroscopic controls for flight in space, Rocket fuel pumps, Vanes in the motor blast for guidance etc.

Hermann Oberth(1984-1989) a Romanian scientist, at age 14, he created the idea of a recoil rocket. It could propel itself through space by spitting exhaust gas from the back. Like slamming on the gas, then letting up, then slamming it again. He realized that as fuel was expended, it would be harder to push the rocket. This problem was fixed with stages. A pivotal and less spoken point of space travel.

Eugen Sänger(1905-1964) a German scientist, Pioneered work on space planes and space transport. His work on ramjet engines led to the construction of the X-15 jet and the space shuttle. He came up with the idea of the reusable space plane.

Wernher von Braun(1912-1977) was initially hired by the Germans in 1930 to build rockets. He designed the V-2 rocket for the German army. At the end of the war, fearing capture by the Russians, he stole a train and helped 500 of his coworkers escape to the Allies. These “refugees” became the backbone of the American space program. They designed the rockets that put the first Americans in space.

Competition between the U.S. and USSR for supremacy in space exploration begins.

In 1957 Soviets send first man made object into orbit Sputnik which orbited for 22 days. It sent a continuous signal everyone could hear. This marked the start of the space race. In 1958 NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was formed. In 1961 First human in space was recorded as Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. One week later Kennedy launches the moon race. In 1962 First American in space was recorded as Alan Shepard. He spent 15 minutes up there.

In 1962 First American in orbit was recorded by John Glenn. He orbited 3 times.

In 1968 First humans to leave low-Earth orbit was recorded by Apollo 8 mission.

They were also the first to orbit the moon. July 20, 1969, the first human on the moon was recorded by American Neil Armstrong.