The Rocket Man:
Dr. Wernher von Braun
“I have learned to use the word ‘impossible’ with the greatest caution.”
—Wernher von Braun
Before the Space Race, NASA, or men landing on the Moon, there was a young boy in Germany dreaming of rockets, spacecraft, and humans exploring the far reaches of outer space. Young Wernher von Braun didn’t know it at the time, but his dream of space exploration was about to come true.
Dr. Wernher von Braun had a passion for space long before space exploration was on everybody’s mind. Fueled by science-fiction novels from authors like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, von Braun became fascinated with space and what it would mean for mankind to leave planet Earth. In a short time, he left the fantasies of science fiction behind and began reading scientific books like The Rocket into Planetary Space. Von Braun soon found himself buried in textbooks, trying to understand the math behind building a rocket.
While getting his doctorate in physics from the University of Berlin, von Braun worked with the German army to develop small liquid-fueled rockets. When World War II broke out all over Europe, von Braun was chosen to lead the development of ballistic missiles for the Germans in a secret lab.
During his time at the secret lab on the Baltic coast, von Braun played an important role in the development of the V-2 rocket. The V-2 rocket, which stood for “Vengeance Weapon Two,” was a rocket that could fly long distances and cause maximum damage to its target. This was unlike anything the world had ever seen. The Germans hoped to use the weapon—weighing 2,200 pounds and able to travel 200 miles—on Great Britain to deliver a crushing blow and win the war. Of course, we know that didn’t happen.
Dr. von Braun, however, saw the V-2’s potential for space exploration, if in the right hands. He was determined to use his research for good and not for weapons. With Germany slowly losing the war, von Braun decided the best option was to make a deal with the United States before he lost all the technology he had worked so hard to develop. He and several important scientists escaped to America where they would help the Americans build rockets for space travel.
Before long, von Braun was working with NASA as the director of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Dr. von Braun was instrumental in the development of the Saturn V rocket, the rocket that would eventually launch a man into space. He also worked on both the Mercury and Apollo projects.
To say von Braun played an important role during his time at NASA would be an understatement. His desire to see a human launched into space became a reality in his lifetime thanks to the technology he helped create.
Without the help of high-tech tools or computers, scientists like von Braun had to use their incredible talent to build the rockets needed to get men like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong to the Moon. Although von Braun died before getting to see the Moonwalkers take their first steps on the Moon, von Braun is remembered as a pioneer of rocket technology and space science. It was because of scientists like him that astronauts were able to take one giant leap for mankind, and for that reason, von Braun’s memory will forever be remembered in history.