Von Braun, Wernher, 1912-1977

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1912-03-23
Death 1977-06-16
Americans
English, German

Biographical notes:

Wernher Von Braun was one of the world's first and foremost rocket engineers and a leading authority on space travel.

From the description of Wernher von Braun letter, 1960. (National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum). WorldCat record id: 61257728

Von Braun was Director of the Development Operations Division.

From the description of Interim Report of Agena Survey Team and Management Plan for NASA Agena Project : letter to General Don R. Ostrander, NASA Director of Vehicle Development Operations, 1960 Jan 18. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). WorldCat record id: 733100656

From the description of Management Plan for NASA Agena Project, 1960 Jan 16. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). WorldCat record id: 733100658

Director, Development Operations Division, Army Ballistic Missile Agency, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

From the description of Warum Raumfahrt? : Stuttgarter Luftfahrtgesprach in Stuttgart-Flughafen, 1959 Sept. 3. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122332805

Wernher von Braun (1912-1977), the "father of space travel," developed the first practical space rockets and launch vehicles.

From the description of Von Braun, Wernher, 1912-1977 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10580407

German-born aerospace engineer; emigrated to the United States in 1945; served as director and administrator of U.S. space programs and projects.

From the description of Wernher Von Braun papers, 1796-1970 (bulk 1950-1970). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70979926

Biographical Note

1912, Mar. 23 Wirsitz, East Prussia Poland) Republic of Poland Born, Wirsitz, East Prussia (now part of Poland) 1930 Berlin, Germany Berlin Land Berlin Berlin Founding member, Rocket Field,Berlin, Germany, sponsored and financed by German Rocket Society Assistant to Hermann Oberth, experimenting with small liquid rocket motors 1931 Student, Institute of Technology,Zurich, Switzerland 1932 B.S., Institute of Technology,Berlin, Germany 1932 1937 Chief, Testing Station, German Army Proving Ground,Kummersdorf, Germany 1934 Ph. D., University of Berlin,Berlin, Germany 1937 1945 Peenemünde, Germany Peenemünde Technical director, German Rocket Research Center,Peenemünde, Germany Responsible for V-2 Long-range Rocket and A.A. Guided Missile Wasserfall 1943 1945 Research professor, Peenemünde, Germany 1945 Captured by U.S. Army and taken to United States 1945 1950 Fort Bliss, Tex. Fort Bliss Project director, Research and Development Service,U.S. Army Ordnance Corps,Fort Bliss, Tex. Technical adviser at White Sands Missile Range, N. Mex. 1947 Married Maria Von Quistorp 1950 1956 Chief, Guided Missile Development Division, Redstone Arsenal,Huntsville, Ala. 1953 Published The Mars Project (Urbana: University of Illinois Press. 91 pp.), translated by Henry J. White Published Man on the Moon (London: Sidgwick and Jackson. 134 pp.), with Fred L. Whipple and Willy Ley. Also published as Conquest of the Moon (New York: Viking Press. 126 pp.) 1955 Naturalized as American citizen 1956 Published The Exploration of Mars (New York: Viking Press. 176 pp.), with Willy Ley 1956 1960 Director, Development Operations Division, Army Ballistic Missile Agency,Huntsville, Ala. 1957 Received Distinguished Civilian Service Award, Department of Defense 1958 Received Dr. Robert Goddard Memorial Trophy 1960 Published First Men to the Moon (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 96 pp.) 1960 1970 Director, George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, National Aeronautic and Space Administration,Huntsville, Ala. 1967 Published History of Rocketry & Space Travel (New York: Crowell. 244 pp.), with Frederick I. Ordway III Published Space Frontier (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 216 pp.) 1970 1972 Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning, National Aeronautics and Space Administration,Washington, D.C. 1972 Vice president, Engineering and Development, Fairchild Industries, Germantown, Md. 1975 Founded National Space Institute 1977, June 16 Died, Alexandria, Va.

From the guide to the Wernher Von Braun Papers, 1796-1970, (bulk 1950-1970), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

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Subjects:

  • Aeronautics
  • Agena rocket vehicles
  • Genealogy
  • Guided missiles
  • Rocketry
  • Rocketry
  • Rocketry
  • Rockets (Aeronautics)
  • Science
  • Space flight
  • V-2 rocket
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • Rocketry
  • Rocketry

Occupations:

  • Aerospace engineers
  • Public officials

Places:

  • Poznań, 75, PL
  • Alexandria, VA, US

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