Lecture 17

Question 1

What were the origins of rocketry?

Answer 1

• Solid fuel rockets were first developed in China during the 13th century AD
• Rockets were initially used for military purposes and celebrations

Question 2

Who was Konstantin Ciolkowski and what were his contributions to space exploration?

Answer 2

• He published the 1903 paper Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices
• Proposed multistage rockets and the use of liquid oxygen and hydrogen as propellants
• Envisioned space stations as part of future space travel

Question 3

What did Robert Goddard contribute to rocketry?

Answer 3

• He published the 1919 work Method for Reaching Extreme Altitudes
• Developed the first liquid-fueled rocket and introduced mathematical theories for space travel

Question 4

How did Hermann Oberth influence modern rocketry?

Answer 4

• He wrote By Rocket into Planetary Space in 1922
• His work provided theoretical underpinnings for the use of rockets in space exploration

Question 5

What role did Wernher von Braun plau in German rocketry?

Answer 5

• Led the development of the V-2(A4) rocket in 1942 the worlds first ling range ballistic missile
• Worked on advanced projects like the A10 (intercontinental missile) and A12 (precursor to the Saturn V used for Apollo 11)
• His past involvement with the SS was erased by the US after the war

Question 6

What was the significance of the Mittelwerk factory?

Answer 6

• The Mittelwerk factory was a ‘technological marvel’ where V-2 rockets were built
• Production relied on forced labor from concentration camps, resulting in immense human suffering

Question 7

How did the Soviet Union leverage captured German technology after World War II?

Answer 7

• The USSR developed the Vostok (R7) rocket which initiated the space race
• Notable achievements included launching Sputnik ! in 1957 and Yuri Gagarin the first human in space in 1961

Question 8

What were the key milestones in the US - Soviet space race

Answer 8

• Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite
• NASA established
• Yuri Gagarin (Vostok 1) became the first human in space
• Neil Armstrong landed on the moon during Apollo 11, using von Braun’s Saturn V rocket

Question 9

How did the Cold war shape the space race

Answer 9

• The US and USSR competed for technological and ideological supremacy, using space exploration to demonstrate their scientific capabilities
• The space race fueled advancements in reusable spacecraft like the Space Shuttle doubling as a weapon system

Question 10

What is the ‘race to oblivion’

Answer 10

The term reflects the Cold War eras focus on nuclear and space technologies, where the pursuit of supremacy risked catastrophic consequences