Engineering: History of Rocket Propulsion

Chinese fire arrows

Apr 15, 1232

The first rockets were invented by the Chinese. They were used as weapons against the Mongols.

First Multi-Staged Rocket

May 19, 1591

Johann Schmidlap, a German fireworks maker, invents the two-stage rocket to reach higher altitudes.

Newton's Laws of Motion Published

Jul 5, 1687

Sir Isaac Newton lays the foundations of rockets by publishing his three laws of motion in the book Principia.

Spin Stabilisation Invented

Aug 25, 1844

Jet vents are designed on an angle, making the rocket spin, much like a bullet, making them more stable and accurate

Successful Liquid-Propellant Rocket

Mar 16, 1926

American Robert Goddard flies a rocket powered by liquid oxygen and gasoline

V-2 Rockets

Jun 10, 1942

Ballistic missiles that were developed by German engineer Wernher Von Braun and this is the first rocket capable of reaching space

First Satellite- Sputnik 1

Oct 4, 1957

The Soviet Union launches the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite

First American Satellite Launches

Jan 31, 1958

Jet Propulsion Laboratories launch Explorer 1, America's first satellite

NASA Founded

Oct 17, 1958

The United States formally organizes its space program

Russian Luna 1 Probe to Moon

Jan 22, 1959

Successful launch of Luna 1 by the Russians