Dr. Wernher von Braun (1912–1977) was one of the most important rocket developers and champions of space exploration in the twentieth century. After reading Hermann Oberth’s Rocket into Interplanetary Space and receiving a telescope from his mother, von Braun decided to become a space pioneer and physicist. At the age of 13, he got into trouble when he obtained six skyrockets, strapped them to a toy red wagon, and set them off. Streaming flames and a long trail of smoke, the wagon roared five blocks into the center of town, where the rockets exploded.

Known as “the father of space travel,” in 1937, he became the Technical Director of the Rocket Center in Peenemünde, Germany, where his team developed the V-2 rocket, which von Braun envisioned for space travel rather than war. The V-2 was a liquid propellant missile 46 feet in length and weighing 27,000 pounds, capable of flying at speeds in excess of 3,500 miles per hour and delivering a 2,200-pound warhead to a target 200 miles away. It was first successfully launched in October 1942 and was employed against targets in Western Europe beginning in September 1944.

In April 1960, von Braun became the director of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center at Huntsville for NASA. His team developed the Saturn V rocket that launched Apollo 5 to the Moon in 1969. In 1970, he became NASA’s Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning in Washington. He helped found the National Space Institute in 1975 and served as its first president.

During his lifetime, Wernher von Braun had the good fortune to see his youthful dreams come true. However, he did far more than dream. His hard work, dedication, and research paved the way for the peaceful exploration of space, landings on the Moon, and the sending of inquisitive spacecraft out into the cosmos.