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A Brief History of Rocket Launches

nattybumppo.github.io

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Re: A Brief History of Rocket Launches

#3
1957 being the starting date is probably due to the used catalogs but remember that rockets have been launched decades before that.

Depending on your definition, at least the start of Goddard's rocket in 1926 or the A-4 that reached space in 1942 come to mind.

Re: A Brief History of Rocket Launches

#4
post #3

1957 being the starting date is probably due to the used catalogs but remember that rockets have been launched decades before that. Depending on your definition, at least the start of Goddard's rocket in 1926 or the A-4 that reached space in 1942 come to mind.

Very true. 1957 is the starting point because the visualization only shows rockets that went to orbit (or that were intended to, at least); suborbital flights are not included.

Re: A Brief History of Rocket Launches

#9
post #8

First thought I had after getting into the early sixties was, "Wow, no wonder we made it to the moon first". Talk about practice makes perfect...

This is even more vividly shown in this NASA plot of booster development:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/USAF_ICBM...

Re: A Brief History of Rocket Launches

#10
post #8

First thought I had after getting into the early sixties was, "Wow, no wonder we made it to the moon first". Talk about practice makes perfect...

>no wonder we made it to the moon first

Korolev's premature death and his successor's lack of political savvy might have to do something with it.

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