Like the Wright Brothers, Robert Goddard’s flight changed rocketry forever, pioneering today’s mainstay, liquid-fueled SpaceX rockets.
I have some artifacts from his 1926 flight (see comments below).
But first, I am pointing to a scale model of Nell — Goddard’s 10’ tall rocket powered by gasoline and liquid oxygen. It went just 41’ up in 2.5 seconds, hitting 60 MPH, but it marked the dawn of the space age.
The New York Times publicly mocked his work in 1920, but Goddard persisted. Fearing further criticism, Goddard kept his 1926 launch secret for nearly a decade.
Go Goddard, go, go go! “There can be no thought of finishing, for aiming at the stars, both literally and figuratively, is the work of generations, but no matter how much progress one makes there is always the thrill of just beginning.” — Robert Goddard
A couple more Goddard quotes that remind me of
Elon Musk:
“Every vision is a joke until the first man accomplishes it; once realized, it becomes commonplace.”
"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."
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