Chinese Fire Arrow, circa 1000 AD.

Source: NASA (http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/special/lk_fire.html)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Goddard's first liquid fueled rocket. It was about 12 feet tall and flew only a few hundred feet.

Source: http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/CosmosNotes/earlyrkt.htm

Photo: http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4206/ch1.htm#10

 

 

A German V2 rocket (also known as the A4). The rocket is about 46 feet long, weighed 13 tons at launch, carried 1600 lbs. of explosives, had a speed of 3300 mph, and could travel about 200 miles.

Source: http://www.v2rocket.com/start/makeup/design.html

 

 

 

 

Sputnik I, launched in 1957. The globe is about the size of a beach ball.

Source: http://sputnikbook.com/images/gallery/Sputniklk.jpg

 

 

 

Explorer I copy. A happy von Braun holds up the right side. A model of the launch vehicle is to his right.

Source: http://sputnikbook.com/images/gallery/pickering5.jpg

 

 

 

 

Unmanned Soviet lunar rover (around 1973).

Source: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/image/spacecraft/lunokhod2.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Soviet N1 moon rocket

Source: http://www.astronautix.com/articles/thepart2.htm

 

 

 

S. Korolev, the Soviet von Braun.

Source: http://www.nasm.si.edu/galleries/gal114/SpaceRace/sec300/sec321.htm

                           

The Apollo Saturn V

Source: http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4206/contents.htm

 

 

 

W. von Braun

Source: http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/GGGIQY9RVDC_Germany_1.html

 

 

 

What von Braun wanted (drawn around 1952). The wheel is about 275 across and is permanently inhabited.

 

 

 

 

What he got was this: Skylab. It was 120 feet long and about 20 feet across, and was inhabited for about 9 months total.

Source: http://science.nasa.gov/ssl/pad/solar/skylab.htm

The X-30 "National Aerospace Plane"

Cancelled in the mid-1990's.

 

 

 

 

X-33 "Venture Star": Program started 1996, cancelled in 2001.

Source: http://www.fas.org/spp/guide/usa/launch/x-33.htm

 

 

 

The X34: Program started in 1996, cancelled in 2001

Source: http://www.fas.org/spp/guide/usa/launch/x-34.htm

 

 

The Scaled Composites X-prize entry. The White Knight jet aircraft takes off, then drops the smaller rocket-powered Spaceship I craft.

Source: http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=scaled_spaceshipone_02.jpg

 

Another X-Prize entry, the Canadian Arrow. Does it look familiar? They based it on the old V2!

Source: http://www.canadianarrow.com/vehicle1.htm