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Johann Schmidlap, a German fireworks maker, invents a two-stage rocket, allowing higher altitudes by stacking propulsion stages -
Isaac Newton publishes his laws of motion, laying the scientific groundwork for modern rocketry -
Indian rockets influence British military designs, leading to the Congreve rocke -
Jet vents angled to spin rockets, improving stability and accuracy -
mathematical theory of rocket propulsion -
In March 1926 American Robert H Goddard flies a rocket powered by liquid oxygen and gasoline. Goddard goes on to build bigger rockets and higher rockets. -
Fritz von Opel became the first person to fly a rocket-propelled plane in Germany – the Opel RAK.1 -
Ballistic missiles are developed by German engineers led by Wernher Von Braun during the Second World War. They burn a mixture of oxygen and alcohol at a rate of 1 ton every 7 seconds. This is the first rocket capable of reaching space. -
A variety of medium and long-range missiles are developed and become the starting point of the US space programme. Missiles like Redstone, Atlas and Titan would eventually launch astronauts into space. -
A variety of medium and long-range missiles are developed and become the starting point of the US space programme. Missiles like Redstone, Atlas and Titan would eventually launch astronauts into space.
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The Soviet Union launches the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite. This marks the first significant success of the space race between the world’s two superpowers. -
Jet Propulsion Laboratories launch Explorer 1, America’s first satellite. New Zealander Sir William Pickering is director of JPL. -
The United States formally organises its space programme and calls it National Aeronautics and Space Administration. -
With the help of captured German rocket engineers, the United States begins using V-2 rockets as sounding rockets to make measurements of the atmosphere at high altitudes. Little was known of the atmosphere before this.