His Neighbors Didn't Like Rockets Either

Dr Robert Goddard, Father of American Rocketry


Dr. Robert Goddard with his rocket.

In 1919 he published a scientific paper entitled ''A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes" in which he described a liquid propulsion system for rockets that could allow us to reach the Moon. The New York Times published an editorial suggesting that Dr. Goddard was '...either playing a joke or was ignorant of elementary physics if he thought that a rocket could work in the vacuum of space.' Yes, the media really does keep us enlightened.

On March 16, 1926, Goddard tested an actual rocket at his Aunt Effie's farm in Auburn Massachussetts. Eventually the neighbors opposition forced him to go to Roswell, New Mexico where he continued his experiments. Goddard, though he held some 200 patents in rocket technology, received little recognition for his work... in the United States.

In Germany, Dr. Wernher von Braun read Goddard's paper and developed the V2 program that became the basis for the American and Russian space efforts. Von Braun, now working for the American missle agency, said of Goddard: ''Don't you know about your own rocket pioneer? Dr. Goddard was ahead of us all.''

Today the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Maryland is named in his honor.

Here's an Interesting Article [click to read] on Dr. Goddard from the New York Times.

Augusta's Rocket Pioneers

Here is a history from SWAC Girl

Part 1 ... October Sky
Part 2 ... Who is VAST?
Part 3 ... What is agri-tourism?
Part 4 ... Francis Chester
Part 5 ... Launch location -- Croft Field
Part 6 ... How it began ... anonymous complaint
Part 7 ... "It's only a formality"
Part 8 ... VAST prepares for BZA meeting
Part 9 ... VAST presents case to BZA meeting
Part 10 ... VAST denied Special Use Permit
Part 11 ... Augusta County denies BZA hearing tapes
Part 12 ... The legal case begins
Part 14 ... Dreams of space

"No Rockets on Company Property"

Augusta'a 'Rocket Boys' Need to Find Their
Own 'Snakeroot' for a Launch Site

Lynn Has this Story [click to read] about Augusta County's own Homer Hickams and their being denied permission to launch their model rockets. Let's hope that Augusta's 'Rocket Boys' will be as persistant as the heroes of October Sky. Model rocketry is a great activity!

If you don't know the story it is a great one. Young Homer lives in the West Virginia town of Coalwood and dreams of greater things than mining coal, which is what you do if you live in Coalwood. Homer creates a model rocket and when it flies wildly over the mine is forbidden to launch 'on company property.' Company property is everything in sight. The company owns the houses, the store, even the community church building! Homer's Dad is sure he's squelched Homer's interest in rocketry... or so it seems.

Homer won't give up and finds a suitable launch site eight miles away. His friends work with him to overcome a host of difficulties and the movie is one you really should see for yourself.


The Moon seen through a sycamore tree.

Valley AeroSpace Team [click to learn more].