Early U.S. Rocketry

The world's first liquid fuel rocket was built by the American Robert Hutchings Goddard . His work was largely ignored by the American government at first. Later, he and his team moved to the White Sands Proving Grounds near Roswell, New Mexico for test firing of their rockets. Although the American did not take much interest, Germans rocket scientists, led by von Braun , followed Goddard 's work. Under Hitler's direction, von Braun had developed liquid-fueled rockets for use against England. The German development of rockets during World War II is discussed in the section on Germany.

Contemporaneously with Goddard 's work, the American Interplanetary Society flight tested rockets of its own design. The Society had been founded on April 4, 1930 by G. Edward Pendray, Daid Lasser, and others. (On April 6, 1934 it changed its name to the American Rocket Society. On February 1, 1963, it was incorporated into the Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) (Gatland 1989, p. 8). The first liquid fueled rocket built by the American Interplanetary Society was static fired on November 12, 1932. The rocket, fired in Stockton, New Jersey, was based on the German Repulsor rocket, and produced 27 kg (60 pounds) of thrust for 20-30 seconds. It was damaged in the test and not subsequently flown. (Gatland 1989, p. 10). The second was launched on May 14, 1933 from Great Kills, Staten Island, New York. It rose 250 feet (76 meters) before the liquid oxygen tank burst (Gatland, p. 10). The fourth liquid rocket was launched on September 9, 1934 from Marine Park, Staten Island, New York. It flew 407 meters downrange, landing in the New York Bay. It had a single thrust chamber with four canted nozzles. It was originally tested on June 10, 1934 [sic 1943], but did not fly because the fuel ports were too small (p. 10). H.F. Pierce of the American rocket Society launched a liquid fueled rocket to about 250 feet (76 meters) on May 9, 1937. The launch took place from Old Ferris Point, the Bronx, New York (Gatland 1989, p. 11). On December 10, 1938, the American Rocket Society tested a 90 pound (41 kg) thrust regeneratively cooled liquid rocket motor designed by James H. Wyld (Gatland 1989, p. 11).

American Interplanetary Rocket Society Rockets

Veh.	Launch Date	Alt.	DR	Launch Site	Status
		(m)	(m)
1	11-12-1932			Stockton, NJ	damaged in static test, not flown
2	05-14-1933	76		Great Kills, NY	LOX tank exploded
3
4A	06-10-1934			Marine Park, NY	did not fly
4B	09-09-1934		407	Marine Park, NY	landed in New York Bay
5?	05-09-1937	76		Old Ferris Point, NY

Source: Gatland (1989).