Wernher Von Braun

Wernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun (1912 Ð'- 1977) was one of the most important rocket developers and leading figures in the development of rocketry and space exploration, in both Germany and the United States, between the 1930's and 1970's. This essay highlights his life and major achievements.

Wernher Von Braun was born 23 March, 1912 into a family involved in banking and politics, and from an early age showed talent in science and music. He attended University at Technische UniversitÐ"¤t and then got an apprenticeship with a firm making locomotives. In 1930, while in his apprenticeship, he became interested in rockets and space travel. He joined the Verein fÐ"јr Raumschiffahrt (VIR), the German Society for Space travel, where he met and worked with many amateur rocketeers.

In 1932 Von Braun received his Bachelors degree, in engineering, in Germany. "In this year he started working with the ordinance department of the German Army, conducting research on rocket as military weapons. With an army grant he obtained his doctorate on liquid fuel rockets. In 1934 he successfully launched the first A1 rocket, weighing 150kg and using liquid oxygen and ethanol as the fuel" . This launch proved to the scientific world the gyroscopes are able to be used to stabilise large rockets. On July 27, 1934, Von Braun received his doctorate in physics, for aerospace engineering for a thesis "About Combustion Tests". "By 1935 Von Braun was head of a team of 80 scientists and engineers working on rocket engines capable of carrying large (explosive) payloads. In 1939, with World War II looming, Adolf Hitler visited the team to view their work and authorised increased funding. Von Braun's team grew to over 6000, developing the now famous V2 rocket, anti-aircraft missiles and other rocket weapons."

Von Braun was arrested on 15 March, 1944, by Gestapo for talking about using the rockets for space travel rather than concentrating on the war. He was released from prison several weeks later as result of Hitler's personal intervention, as he was convinced to release him so that the V-2 regime could continue, and he rejoined his research team.

Wernher Von Braun utilised Goddard's plans working from various journals, and incorporated them into the constructing of the Aggregat 4 series of rockets (V-2 rockets). In 1963 Von Braun "said of Goddard's work: "His rockets ... may have been rather crude by present-day standards, but they blazed the trail and incorporated many features used in our most modern rockets and space vehicles." Goddard confirmed his work was used by Von Braun when, after the war ended, Goddard inspected captured German V-2s, and recognized many components which he had invented." When Von Braun presented Hitler with a colour movie presentation of this work, Hitler was so excited that he personally made Von Braun a professor. In Germany and at this time, this was seen as an unusual promotion for an engineer who was only 31 years old.

In 1945, Von Braun and his brother, Magnus, surrendered to the U.S. Army. The U.S. Army was well aware of Von Braun's importance as he was on top of the Black List, and eagerly accepted his surrender. Von Braun was then recruited to the US as part of Operation Overcast.

Seven of Von Braun's technicians were transferred to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland to sort out the PeenemÐ"јnde documents, which had been hidden in a mine shaft from fear of being destroyed. This enabled the scientists to continue their research and experiments on rocketry.

Eventually, Von Braun and his remaining staff were transferred to Fort Bliss, Texas, a large Army installation. This was to be their new home. While staying here, they trained military, industrial and university personnel in the particulars of rockets and guided missiles. They were a part of the Hermes project in which they helped to refurbish, assemble and launch some V-2 rockets that had been shipped from Germany to New Mexico. The team continued to study the potential of rockets for military and research applications. Von Braun and his colleagues began to refer to themselves, jokingly, as "Prisoners of Peace" as they were not allowed to leave the premises.

While at Fort Bliss, Von Bran mailed a marriage proposal to 18 year old Maria Luise von Quistorp. On March 1, 1947, Von Braun was permitted to go back to Germany and return with his bride. They married in a Lutheran church in Landshut, Germany. The two and Von Braun's parents returned to New York on March 26, 1947. Von Braun's first daughter, Iris Careen, was born at Fort Bliss Army Hospital. He then had another two children, Margrit CÐ"©cile on 8 May 1952 and Peter Constantine on 2 June 190. Von Braun became a naturalised citizen of the United States on April 15, 1955.

At the start of the Korean War, Von Braun and his team were transferred to Huntsville, Alabama where they lived for another 20 years. "Between 1950 and 1956, Von Braun led the Army's rocket development team at Redstone Arsenal, resulting in the Redstone rocket, which was used first live nuclear ballistic missile tests conducted by the United States" . The period between 1945 to 1957, were some of the most frustrating years for Von Braun because the U.S. Government had become less interested in Von Braun's work and only embarked on modest rocket-building programs. During