Australian Science Illustrated — Issue 54 2017

scienceillustrated.com.au | 53

1956

JUPITER-C BEATS

ALL SPEED RECORDS

In a test launch from Florida, von Braun's
Jupiter-C rocket reaches the staggering
speed of 20,000 km/h, travelling a record
distance of 5,400 km.

2015

SPACEX LANDS ROCKET

SUCCESSFULLY

Private space company SpaceX takes reuse to

the next level, landing its Falcon 9 rocket on

Earth in an upright position after launching 11

satellites into orbit.

1961

RUSSIANS ARE THE

FIRST IN SPACE

On 12 April, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri

Gagarin becomes the first human being

in space, orbiting Earth in the Vostok 1

space capsule.

1958

THE US LAUNCHES ITS

FIRST SATELLITE

Using von Braun's Jupiter rocket, the US

launches its first satellite, Explorer 1, to

orbit Earth. Jupiter's first booster stage

is a Red stone rocket based on the V-2.

2019

NASA TESTS LARGE

MARS ROCKET

NASA will launch the world's most powerful

rocket yet, the Space Launch System (SLS).

The 117-m-high rocket could be used to

send humans to Mars in the 2030s.

1957

USSR LAUNCHES

FIRST SATELLITE

With Russian rocket boss Sergei Korolev's R-7

booster rocket, which is based on V-2

technology, the Soviet Union launches the

world's first satellite, Sputnik 1, on 4 October.

1957

RUSSIAN DOG

IN ORBIT

The dog Laika is the first living creature

to orbit Earth aboard the Soviet Sputnik

2 satellite. The dog dies of overheating

after a few days.

before the Russians intensifies. After a positively herculean

effort, von Brown finally gets his opportunity.

On 31 January 1958, he is ready to fire his 21-m-tall

Jupiter launch vehicle along with the first US satellite,

Explorer 1. A rocket called Redstone makes up Jupiter's first

stage, and as the exhaust flame from the slender,

cylindrical vehicle lights up Cape Canaveral at 10.48 PM,

everybody holds their breath in nervous anticipation.

America's international prestige is at stake, but von

Braun’s rocket is perfect, and when the Explorer 1 has been

placed into orbit around Earth after a few minutes, Wernher

von Braun – or Mister Space Man, as he is called by the

press – becomes a hero. Not only in America, but

throughout the entire Western World.