paulhus@euclid.DEC (N. CHRIS PAULHUS DTN 223-6871 MLO8-3/T13) (01/09/86)
W. Von Braum vs. Robert Goddard
The recent postings mentioning Von Braum bring to mind an anecdote my
dad relates: When Von Braum was debriefed by (U.S.?/Allied?) scientists,
he was asked how Germany was able to make such incredible progress in
rocketry in comparison to the allies. Von Braum expressed amazement at
the question and said that they had done nothing new, that they had just
implemented the work of the American rocket pioneer, Robert Goddard. The
scientists asked, who is this Goddard?!
I took this tale with a grain of salt until I finally visited the new
Air and Space Museum. There, next to the familiar engine-above-fuel-
tanks-below first rocket of Goddard's was his latest model (1938 I think).
What an incredible achievement! Gyro inertial guidance, gimbled motor,
turbo-pumps for propellants, and (I believe) fuel cooling of some
components. Look at a V-2 and it's the same level of technology, just
a bit different (much less than an order of magnitude delta) scale.
Goddard made his first flights in Auburn, MA. After some problems there,
(I think he set something on fire) he started using a launch site in
Harvard, MA, now (then?) on Fort Devens, about a mile from where I now
live. (He rapidly outgrew this site and moved to [White Sands?].) The
Harvard site has a small monument and a tiny sign on a little used road
on Fort Devens. I'd bet less than 100 people visit it a year.
I wonder if Goddard will ever get the respect that he deserves from the
space community?
- N. Chris Paulhus, DEC - Maynardnemo@rochester.UUCP (Wolfe) (01/10/86)
In article <354@decwrl.DEC.COM> paulhus@euclid.DEC (N. CHRIS PAULHUS DTN 223-6871 MLO8-3/T13) writes: > W. Von Braun vs. Robert Goddard > ...(von Braun) said that they had done nothing new, that they had just > implemented the work of the American rocket pioneer, Robert Goddard. The > scientists asked, who is this Goddard?! > I took this tale with a grain of salt until I finally visited the new > Air and Space Museum. There, next to the familiar engine-above-fuel- > tanks-below first rocket of Goddard's was his latest model (1938 I think). > What an incredible achievement! Gyro inertial guidance, gimbled motor, > turbo-pumps for propellants, and (I believe) fuel cooling of some > components. Look at a V-2 and it's the same level of technology, just > a bit different (much less than an order of magnitude delta) scale. Equally amazing is that many of the components he used were "off-the-shelf". Shows how fast development can progress on how miniscule a budget when you go that route. His fuel valves were fire hose valves, eg. > Goddard made his first flights in Auburn, MA. After some problems there, > (I think he set something on fire) he started using a launch site in > Harvard, MA, now (then?) on Fort Devens, about a mile from where I now > live. (He rapidly outgrew this site and moved to [White Sands?].) The > Harvard site has a small monument and a tiny sign on a little used road > on Fort Devens. I'd bet less than 100 people visit it a year. > I wonder if Goddard will ever get the respect that he deserves from the > space community? > - N. Chris Paulhus, DEC - Maynard He certainly get very little from the government. He invented the bazooka at the end of WWI (solid propellant rocket). During WWII he was engaged in research on jet-assisted take-off (JATO), the primary allied use of jets being to get over-loaded bombers off the ground. The government didn't ever let him do what he really wanted. As a child he was interested in space flight - he expressed his plan to get to the moon by scuffing his shoes on the carpet until he built up enough charge to blast him there. His mom asked him how he planned to get back, without carpets on the moon, and he abandoned that method of attack. I think he was voted class nerd in high school. But he persevered, doing much on his own and the rest with the help of wife and dedicated friends. Imagine what he could have done with an NSF grant! Nemo -- Internet: nemo@rochester.arpa UUCP: {decvax, allegra, seismo, cmcl2}!rochester!nemo Phone: [USA] (716) 275-5766 school 232-4690 home USMail: 104 Tremont Circle; Rochester, NY 14608 School: Department of Computer Science; University of Rochester; Rochester, NY 14627
ths@lanl.ARPA (01/10/86)
> > W. Von Braum vs. Robert Goddard > > The recent postings mentioning Von Braum bring to mind an anecdote my > dad relates: When Von Braum was debriefed by (U.S.?/Allied?) scientists, > he was asked how Germany was able to make such incredible progress in > rocketry in comparison to the allies. Von Braum expressed amazement at > the question and said that they had done nothing new, that they had just > implemented the work of the American rocket pioneer, Robert Goddard. The > scientists asked, who is this Goddard?! This story has been recounted in many publications and appears to be essentially correct. Although virtually all of the primary features of the V-2 (official designation was A.4) were found in Goddard's last designs of the late 1930's, von Braun was understating the progress made by the German rocket team. There was a considerable technological gap between the two efforts as reflected in such areas as aerodynamics, metallurgy and thermodynamics. Perhaps what is so fantastic about Dr. Goddard's progress is that it was financed on a relative shoestring and virtually all of the work was done by Goddard himself. An interesting note to the financial aspect is that Charles Lindbergh was instrumental in arranging a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation. Goddards work in New Mexico took place just east of Roswell about 60 miles from the present White Sands Missile Range. Ted Spitzmiller
henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) (01/12/86)
> I wonder if Goddard will ever get the respect that he deserves from the > space community? One negative aspect of Goddard's work, unfortunately, is that after some unfortunate brushes with the press he didn't publish very much. As a result, the people doing US rocket development re-invented many of his ideas on their own. The US government did belatedly recognize his contributions and the infringement on his patents, and made a large royalty payment to his widow. But a lot of US rocketry does not derive all that directly from his work, since it was so poorly known hereabouts. -- Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry
henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) (01/13/86)
> Imagine what he could have done with an NSF grant!
Imagine how difficult it would have been for him to get one!
--
Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henryeugene@ames.UUCP (Eugene Miya) (01/22/86)
> > I wonder if Goddard will ever get the respect that he deserves from the > > space community? [ line eater fortune cookie: you travel in the wrong circles] What does he need? He has a large space flight center named after him, [reachable by BITNET], there is a space institute named after him, and there is an award named after him. I don't think there are any Goddard lasting constants, formula, equations, but I may be wrong [probably had it surpased by standing on "other's shoulders" as Newton said]. He's got lots of respect. From the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers: --eugene miya NASA Ames Research Center {hplabs,ihnp4,dual,hao,decwrl,allegra}!ames!aurora!eugene emiya@ames-vmsb.ARPA