Goddard rocketIn 1918, Robert Goddard demonstrated a tube-launched solid propellant rocket, using a music stand as his launching platform,. Goddard began work for the Army in 1917 to design rockets to aid in the war effort. By Sep 1918, Goddard had presented the Army Signal Corps with several options. The simplest version could be fired from trenches; the largest could carry an 8-lb payload a distance of about one mile. Many of these rockets were successfully demonstrated at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland on 7 Nov 1918. Goddard presented solid-fueled 5, 7.5 and 50-pound rockets capable of being launched from a 5.5-foot long by 2-inch or 3-inch wide tube. Further development led to the World War II bazooka, a small, hand-held rocket launcher. |
