(March 23, 1912 – June 16, 1977)
This is the greatest of all the rocket scientists. His fascinations with projectiles steered him towards aeronautics. Wernher von Braun graduated as a mechanical engineer in the 1930s only to see his preoccupation with space travel relegated to the background, when the Nazis prioritized weaponry over leisure. He was stationed at the Peenemuende Research Center (in northern Germany), where he spearheaded the development of V-2 rockets. Prescient and resourceful, he quickly established himself as the world’s leading rocket scientist: surpassing his childhood hero, Hermann Oberth. As Hitler’s truculence widened, humongous allotments were allocated to the Peenemuende projects, enabling von Braun to explore boundless ballistic avenues. His cachet and prominence were such that after the war the U.S. Army swiftly whisked him off to the U.S.A. Despite debriefing him, they did not exploit his full potentials until the U.S.S.R. took clear lead of the space-race. But as soon as their leeway was restored, von Braun’s team quickly salvaged the Yankee pride: by masterminding the rocket-programme which launched the first man on the moon. From the Juno 1 rocket which launched the Explorer 1 satellite in 1958 to the Saturn V which launched the Apollo 11 spacecraft in 1969, Wernher von Braun’s proficiencies enthralled the world. He was universally dubbed the “Father of Rocket Science”. And following other achievements, he became a multi-award-winning director and chief architect at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA: advocating for human missions to mars. Among numerous monuments, the 60-kilometer-wide von Braun lunar crater was named in his honor.
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Let’s hail the guy who lifted NASA up.
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Cool & appreciated!
Impressive achievements!
“The hardest thing in life is to learn which bridge to cross and which to burn.” – David Russell
Von Braun was the man. He still is.
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Memorable!
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Incredible!
Very good post.
Great, but his past associations with the Nazi Party…
Great works!
OMG! He’s the perfect bundle.
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