Portrait of Wernher von Braun
NASA

Wernher von Braun

Wernher von Braun was a German engineer who lived between 1912-1977. He is considered the father of the space age for his work in rocketry.

During the 1930's and 40's, Von Braun directed Germany's rocket development program where he and his team of scientists built the famous V2 rockets used against England during World War II. The launch of his third V2 rocket in 1942 which flew 120 miles marked the beginning of the space age.

Von Braun later went to work for the United States, where he was a member of the team that developed the powerful Saturn V rockets which launched the Apollo missions to the Moon.


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