Encyclopedia entry

Auburn

USA

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

Chronology

5 events

Launch Site: Auburn. LV Family: Goddard. Launch Vehicle: Goddard 1.

First flight of a Goddard liquid-propellant rocket. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Goddard. Apogee: 0.0125 km (0.0078 mi). Range: 0.0560 km (0.0348 mi).
Goddard achieves the first flight of a liquid-propellant rocket at Aunt Effie's Farm, Auburn, Massachusetts. Altitude 41 ft; average speed 60 mph; in air 2.5 sec; landed 184 ft from launching frame; total path 220 ft. This event was the "Kitty Hawk" of rocketry.

Launch Site: Auburn. LV Family: Goddard. Launch Vehicle: Goddard 1.

Second flight of a Goddard liquid-propellant rocket - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Goddard. Apogee: 0.0150 km (0.0093 mi). Goddard achieves the second flight of a liquid-propellant rocket. In air 4.2 sec; landed 50 ft from testing stand..

Launch Site: Auburn. LV Family: Goddard. Launch Vehicle: Goddard 3.

Third flight of a Goddard liquid rocket. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Goddard. Apogee: 0.0050 km (0.0031 mi). Range: 0.0620 km (0.0385 mi).
Rose out of tower rapidly and tipped, passing over observation shelter; distance 204.5 ft; speed about 60 mph. This flight was followed by a series of static tests, to develop liquid 'curtain cooling' for inside of combustion-chamber wall, a regenerative system, and better stability in flight.

Launch Site: Auburn. LV Family: Goddard. Launch Vehicle: Goddard 3.

Fourth flight of a Goddard liquid rocket; first with instruments. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Goddard. Apogee: 0.0270 km (0.0168 mi). Range: 0.0520 km (0.0323 mi).
Started to lift at 13 sec; rose at 14 1/2 sec; reached top of flight (90 ft) at 17 sec; hit ground at 18 1/2 sec; landed 171 ft from tower. The rocket carried a small camera, thermometer, and a barometer which were recovered intact after the flight. Flight was bright and noisy, attracted public attention. The result was a great deal of "moon rocket" publicity. This resulted in prohibition of further test flights from Aunt Effie's Farm by the local fire marshall. Length 11 ft 6 in.; maximum diameter 26 in.; weight 32 lb; gasoline 14 lb; liquid oxygen 11 lb; total loaded weight 57 lb. Up to that time Goddard had achieved numerous proving-stand tests of liquid rockets, and 10 attempts at flight tests, of which four achieved flight.

Launch Site: Auburn. LV Family: Goddard. Launch Vehicle: Goddard 4.

Goddard's fifth flight of a liquid fuel rocket - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Goddard. Apogee: 0.61 km (0.38 mi). The rocket reached an altitude of 2000 ft and a maximum speed of 500 mph. The vehicle was 11 ft long; empty weight 33.5 lb; a gas pressure tank was used to force liquid oxygen and gasoline into combustion chamber..