History of Rocket Propulsion

By hcps-yarowtm
  • 400 BCE

    Bird Rocket

    Bird Rocket
    This rocket was created by Archytas in around 400 B.C.. This rocket was shaped like a bird and used compressed air to fly.
  • 220 BCE

    Chinese Firework

    Chinese Firework
    This form of Rocket propulsion was created by Daoists in Ancient China. In these fireworks they mixed together potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal. They then stuffed these materials into bamboo and threw them into fire. They then shot up into the air.
  • 50 BCE

    Hero Engine

    Hero Engine
    Although this was not a rocket, it used the principles that a rocket would use. This engine was created in Alexandria. It was a ball filled with water that was heated up and the steam cause the ball to spin.
  • Jan 1, 1232

    Chinese Flaming Arrows

    Chinese Flaming Arrows
    These rockets were created by the Chinese to use against the Mongols in battle. In these rockets, there was a tube full of gunpowder that was capped off at one end and put on a stick. The the gunpowder was lit, it produced fire, smoke, and gas that caused the rocket to thrust forward.

  • German Step Rocket

    German Step Rocket
    Johann Schmidlap created this rocket. This rocket had two stages, making it very similar to many rockets today. It first had a very large source of fuel to use which eventually broke off and used a secondary source.

  • Goddard Rocket

    Goddard Rocket
    Robert H. Goddard launched this rocket on March 16, 1926. This rocket used liquid oxygen and gasoline as fuel and only flew for two and a half seconds

  • V-2 Rocket

    V-2 Rocket
    This rocket was created in Germany where it was called the A-4, but was instead called the V-2 by the rest of the world. This rocket used a mixture of liquid oxygen and alcohol to move by burning it.

  • WAC-Corporal liquid-fuel sounding rocket

    WAC-Corporal liquid-fuel sounding rocket
    The WAC-Corporal liquid-fuel sounding rocket was created by the US in 1945. This rocket used nitric acid and aniline in its motor to create a lot of force.

  • Sputnik Rocket

    Sputnik Rocket
    This rocket was designed by Sergei Korolev in the Soviet Union. It used kerosene for fuel and oxygen as an oxidizer.

  • Saturn V Rocket

    Saturn V Rocket
    This rocket was created in the US and was the rocket that carried Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon. It used kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen to liftoff.