Father of Space Flight

October 5, 2008

You may Listen or download this story in .mp3 format. or as a .wav file

Profile America — Sunday, October 5th. The dreams of a boy born on this day in the 19th century led to some of America’s most exciting achievements. Robert Goddard was 17 when he thought about his future while climbing a tree and decided to dedicate his life to developing rockets. The year was 1899. At the time, America moved by horse and buggy and steam engine. Goddard’s pioneering work led to the first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926 and later to the development of solid propellants. Today, space flight is a part of modern life, from satellites to telescopes and probes into deep space, as well as manned missions of the space shuttle. This coming year, NASA will spend more than $17.5 billion on a wide variety of space flight and science projects. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, p. 499
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008, t. 797
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008edition.html