A (very) Short Look at the Evolution of Rockets

Rockets are pretty awesome. Whether it be the little bottle rockets that can be set off on various holidays, or the super-massive Saturn V rocket that was able to bring the US astronauts to the moon in 1969, they are capable of massive outputs of energy in short time spans. However, the main interest that most governments have in rockets isn't typically science or impressive light shows- it is the capability that they have as weapons. Although, it is perhaps more accurate to say that the interest lies in their capability as weapon delivery systems.

The earliest known use of rockets in warfare is the conflict between Mysore (a region of India) and Britain during the mid-18th century. While there is the strong likelihood that the Chinese, having made most of the earliest known rockets and explosives, found a way to use a rocket in warfare in the time between the early 9th century when they discovered black powder and mid-18th, this was the first incident that produced a significant reaction in the western world. After encountering hammered iron rockets with sharp implements being launched at their forces during various battles, the British took some of the rockets back to England to reverse engineer, and then improve with a "vigorous research and development programme" for use in modern warfare. They improved the range to make them capable of greater distance than most cannons in use at the time, besides being lighter and easier to aim and maneuver. While accuracy took longer to catch up, as more design modifications were made, most early rockets had more of an impact on morale against enemies unfamiliar with the strange new projectiles. But sometime after the Battle of Waterloo, the rocket fell out of use again as a military interest.

In 1926, Dr. Robert Goddard of Massachusetts performed the successful launch of the first liquid propellant rocket, an invention of his own design. Much of his research was critical in the development of space-capable rockets, but at the time, that was still a distant dream; especially since WWII was beginning. Before the time came when such information would have been kept from reaching Germany, he gained a following there for his work, which was probably used in the development of the V-2 rocket, the "the only operational ballistic missile used during World War II." These rockets were more advanced than most of Goddard's designs, being made for significant range, accuracy, and delivery of a large explosive payload, capable of "leveling a city block." They were actually guided missiles, which is fascinating due to the fact that the guidance system was mechanical in nature, instead of computerized. The guidance system was mostly composed of gyroscopes connected to the axial rudders, as well as the fuel system to control how and when burn was shut off on the final approach to a target. The fuel used was ethanol and liquid oxygen, which were mixed as the rocket flew its course. This generated the work needed to lift the rocket (initially weighing around 28,000 lbs) to an altitude of 52-60 miles in less than 2 minutes. After that, it fell at least somewhere near the intended target- often not close enough to do damage to military targets, but that wasn't really the point. It was part of a series of "Vengeance Weapons" that were meant to damage enemy morale and damage civilian targets. When the war was over, various key members of the development team were captured, and were put to work for Britain, Russia, and the United States.


One of the key individuals captured was Wernher von Braun. He was the driving force behind the development of the majority of rockets developed in Germany during the period of the war. His interest in rockets began as a young boy, with an interest in rocket cars and a treatise on the concept of using rockets to reach space. Years later, his V-2 rocket succeeded in getting most of the way there, before turning back down and fulfilling its destructive purpose. While he was a member of the Nazi party, and even a certain political faction of the SS, his attitude toward the party and what they did (both in general and with his work) is largely unknown, except from his own accounts. Regardless, he was an individual of enough importance that agents carrying out Operation Paperclip scrubbed his record of his Nazi Affiliation so that they could bring him back to the US. He then went on to modify the V-2 rocket design to create the Redstone rocket series for the United States to use as a nuclear payload delivery system, as well as other models that were used for more scientific purposes, like testing high altitude atmospheric conditions. While he would also produce many of the military rocket systems used during the cold war, one of his greatest achievements was the Saturn V rocket system. The largest rocket made to date, it was a liquid propelled rocket that served to send man all the way to the moon. It was truly a marvel, especially since the incredibly complex design of the engine never failed: "Perhaps most amazing of all facts about the Saturn V is that each of its 12 main Saturn V launches was successful. Two of them suffered in-flight problems including engine cutoffs, but the on-board computers were able to compensate, resulting in a successful mission." Say what you will about the man, and about the purposes behind the space program, but to make such a complex design work so reliably over a number of test flights is truly a feat that is undeniably impressive.

Over the years, rocket technology has advanced to the point that we now have guided missiles capable of hitting a target with pinpoint accuracy from miles away. But we also still have the toys and display rockets that were initially made. While all need to be handled with caution and care, their spectacle and appeal hasn't worn off- though what kind of appeal has changed with their evolution. In that regard, rockets are kind of like wild animals: fascinating, and dangerous to handle. To a certain degree, I can't picture the world without rockets, so maybe, despite what most large ones are used for these days, the world is still better off with their existence. If nothing else, they have supplied some amazing and surprisingly profound imagery.