First Liquid-Fueled Rocket Launched

March 16, 1926

Robert Goddard, now considered the father of modern rocketry, successfully launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts. The rocket reached an altitude of 41 feet in 2 seconds at a speed of about 60 miles per hour.

The concept of using liquid as fuel allowed the advancement of rocket technology to the point where space travel was made possible. Goddard died in 1945 before his vision of space travel became a reality, however NASA acknowledged his contributions by naming the Goddard Space Flight Center after him.