Space and Astronomy Atlas

How The Universe Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Pioneer

Robert Goddard

Also Known As Robert Hutchings Goddard
Space Science and Rocketry Theorists

An American physicist who built and launched the world's first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926, in Auburn, Massachusetts. His work was met with public skepticism during his lifetime but laid the practical groundwork for modern rocketry.

Facts
Birth Date
1882-10-05 1
Birth Year
1882 2
Death Date
1945-08-10 1
Death Year
1945 2
Nationality
American 1
Defining Contribution
Built and flew the first liquid-fueled rocket 1
Notable Work
First liquid-fueled rocket flight, March 16, 1926, Auburn, Massachusetts 2
Connections

Associated With

Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Ion Thruster, Concepts
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)

An institutional honor, not an employment record: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, founded in 1959, is named for Goddard, who died in 1945 and never worked for NASA (founded 1958).

Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Wikipedia: Robert H. GoddardRobert Goddard, legacy section

Von Braun and the German rocket program read Goddard's published work; Hermann Oberth had Goddard's 1919 paper translated for von Braun.

Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
In the Other Atlases

Nationality

Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.

Sources
1. Encyclopedia Britannica: Space Exploration
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.View the Source
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Robert H. Goddard, Wikipedia - First liquid-fueled flight section
    It rose 41 feet & went 184 feet, in 2.5 secs., after the lower half of the nozzle burned off.
  • Associated With: Wernher von Braun, Robert H. Goddard, Wikipedia - A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes section
    Oberth had Goddard's 1919 paper translated and Wernher von Braun read it.
  • Associated With: Atmospheric Entry, Atmospheric entry article, ablative heat shield history
    The concept of the ablative heat shield was described as early as 1920 by Robert Goddard
  • Associated With: Ion Thruster, Wikipedia, Ion thruster, Origins section
    Robert H. Goddard first suggested the use of electric propulsion in 1906 and later expanded the idea in a document for the Smithsonian titled Report Concerning Further Development,
View the Source
Wikipedia: Robert H. Goddard
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Robert H. Goddard, Wikipedia - infobox (born)
    October 5, 1882
  • Robert H. Goddard, Wikipedia - infobox (died)
    August 10, 1945
  • Robert H. Goddard, Wikipedia - infobox (full name)
    Robert Hutchings Goddard
  • Associated With: NASA, Robert Goddard, legacy section
View the Source
Robert Goddard (Wikipedia)
In Group: American Rocketry and Space Pioneers, Lead sentence
Quote, In Group: American Rocketry and Space Pioneers, Lead sentence
Robert Hutchings Goddard (October 5, 1882, August 10, 1945) was an American physicist, inventor, and engineer credited with creating and building the world's first liquid-fueled rocket, which was successfully launched on March 16, 1926.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.