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Von Braun, Wernher (1912-77), German-American engineer, known for his development of the liquid-fuel rocket. Von Braun was born in Wirsitz (now Wyrzysk, Poland). He received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Berlin in 1934. Von Braun began experimenting with rockets in his youth. From 1937 to 1945 he was director of the German Rocket Research Centre at Peenemünde on the Baltic Sea, in charge of developing the V-2 long-range liquid-fuel rocket, used to bombard England during World War II (see Rocket). In 1945 he came to the U.S. as technical adviser to the U.S. rocket program at the White Sands Proving Grounds in New Mexico. In 1950 he was transferred to Huntsville, Alabama, where for ten years he headed the Redstone missile program. Von Braun was naturalised a U.S. citizen in 1955. In 1960 he became director of development operations at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Centre (NASA) in Huntsville. He was responsible for development of the Saturn V launch vehicle that was used, with the Apollo spacecraft, in the manned lunar landing program.
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