TEAMQUEST'S SPACEFLIGHT HOMEPAGE
The earliest rocket fuels were solid, a form of gunpowder. The first record of gunpowders listed are from China in 300 B.C. Rockets were formed by accident. Bamboo tubes filled with a mixture of salt peter, charcoal and sulphur to form a big firecracker. These early firecrackers were thrown onto a fire in a ceremony to ward off evil spirits. Some of the tubes were not constructed perfect, and they would shoot out of the fire emitting sparks from the end. Soon the firecracker builders (the names of these men are not recorded) took effort to intentionally make the bamboo tubes shoot out of the fire emitting sparks. Thus, the birth of Rockets.
Over the next 10 decades, the refinement of rockets and fuel were perfected by the Chinese. It is recorded that by the year 1045 A.D. rockets were an important part of the Chinese military. It is very hard to decipher the history of the era. "Fire Arrows" is the term used in the Chinese records. This term could refer to rockets, or burning arrows from bows or crossbows.
It is recorded that in the 13th Century the Chinese Sung Dynasty defended itself from the Mongolian regime. The Chinese defended themselves with many types of weapons using gunpowder. Cannons, grennades, and rockets were among the most effective weapons developed. Rocket powered arrows were definately used in the battle of Kai-fung-fu in 1232 A.D. These were not little rockets either. It is recorded that when a rocket was lit, the roar could be heard for five leagues. (15 Miles). History states that when one of the rockets fell to earth, the impact would destroy the ground, and all around for 2,000ft in all directions. The rockets were filled with metal scraps, and scattered the scraps upon hitting the ground. These rockets probably used the first metal combustion chamber and nozzles. The use of metal chambers and nozzles marked a new era for rocket design and construction.
The rocket first appeared in Europe around 1241 A.D. These weapons caught on soon, and the Arab's show the use of rockets in 1258 A.D. Italy was using rockets by 1500 A.D. Germany was soon to follow, and then England. Rockets were brought to the New World in the War of 1812. During the Battle of Bladensburg, August 24, 1814, the Brititsh 85th infintry used rockets against an American rifle battalion. The Americans were crushed by the new weapon. In the book "Our Incredible Civil War" by Burke Davis, there is a story of an attempt to launch a ballistic missle at Washington D.C. from Richmond, VA. Confederate President Jefferson Davis witnessed the launch of the 12-foot rocket carrying a brass gunpowder warhead weighing about 10 pounds. The warhead was engraved with the letters C.S.A. for Confederate State Army. The missle was said to roar out of site. No one ever saw or heard of the rocket landing on Earth. It just may be that a satelite was sent into orbit 100 years or so before Sputnik.
The main drawback with rockets throughout their history, was the fuel that they used. In both Europe and the U.S.A. efforts were made to develop a new type of fuel. Two scientists were well known for their experiments using liquid-propelled rockets. Wernher von Braun, a German and Robert H. Goddard, an American. Goddard recorded the first liquid propelled rocket flight on March 16, 1926. The rocket only flew 152 ft (46 meters) but it did fly !!
Von Braun and his group of scientist remained hard at work in Germany. On October 3, 1942 they launched an A4 rocket from Peenemuende, Germany. The rocket followed its trajectory and landed on target 120 miles (193 kilometers) away. This launch is said to be the beginning of the Space Age. The A4, the first working ballistic missle, is the ancestor of nearly every rocket flown in the world today. The Germans renamed the A4 to the V2. The V2 was developed too late to effect the course of the war. Hitler committed suicide and the German troups were retreating everywhere. On May 2, 1945, the day the Berlin fell to the Soviets, von Braun and his rocket team entered American lines and safety. By February 1946, von Braun's entire team had been reunited in White Sands Proving Grounds near Las Cruces, New Mexico. On April 16, 1946 the first V2 was launched in the United States from White Sands. The U.S Space Program was underway !!!!! Up to 1952, 64 V2's were launched at White Sands. The team constructed a two-stage rocket called Bumper. More room to launch the rockets was needed. The Joint Long Range Proving Ground was established at deserted CAPE CANAVERAL. On July 24, 1950, a two-stage Bumper rocket became the first of many rockets launched from "The Cape." It started a new era in America's involvement in Space.
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Last Updated by TeamQuest '96 c/o hotshots@ix.netcom.com on August 15th 1996 at 20:59:59 PDT