Portrait of Wernher von Braun
NASA
Wernher von Braun
Wernher von Braun was a German engineer who lived between 1912-1977.
He is considered the father of the space age for his work in rocketry.
During the 1930's and 40's, Von Braun directed Germany's rocket
development program where he and his team of scientists built the famous
V2 rockets used against England during World War II. The launch of his
third V2 rocket in 1942 which flew 120 miles marked the beginning of the
space age.
Von Braun later went to work for the United States, where he was a
member of the team that developed the powerful Saturn V rockets which
launched the Apollo missions to
the Moon.
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