Wernher Von Braun : Out of the Fire, the Stars

by Spangenburg, Ray; Diane Kit Moser

• ISBN13: 9780816061792
• ISBN10: 0816061793
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-05-30
• Publisher: Facts on File

Summary

Wernher von Braun recounts the life and work of the acclaimed rocket scientist who supervised the development of the powerful rockets used by Apollo astronauts to reach the Moon. Controversy surrounds von Braun's work in Germany during World War II, and this revised edition examines some of the issues brought to light by the availability of formerly top-secret documents: for example, the significance of his statements to the U.S Army concerning his wartime career as a V-2 rocket builder and his membership in the Nazi Party and position as an SS officer. Von Braun's contributions to rocket technology, however, made him one of the most important rocket developers and champions of space exploration during the period between the 1930s and the 1970s.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xv
Introduction	p. xvii
Runaway Rockets, Stars, and Space	p. 1
Early Musical Talent	p. 1
1920s Berlin	p. 2
Wellspring of Science	p. 4
Beyond Earth's Atmosphere	p. 9
Rocket Weapons in Eighteenth-Century Warfare	p. 10
How Do Rockets Work?	p. 11
Rockets That Reach Out to Space	p. 13
Robert Goddard: Pioneer Rocketeer	p. 14
Hermann Oberth	p. 15
"Help Create the Spaceship!"	p. 17
Cutting-Edge Amateur Rocketry	p. 18
Willy Ley (1906-1969): The VfR Voice	p. 19
Space Travel at the Movies	p. 21
The VfR Keeps Advancing	p. 24
Experiments: Can Humans Survive Space Travel?	p. 25
Rocket Engineer for the German Army	p. 29
Dornberger's Agenda	p. 30
Spotty Results, Stellar Know-how	p. 31
Opportunity Knocks	p. 33
Building and Testing Real Rockets	p. 34
Growth of Nazi Power	p. 39
Airplanes Powered by Rockets	p. 40
Grazing the Edges of Space	p. 43
The Case for Peenemunde	p. 45
A-3: High Hopes Frustrated	p. 47
A-4: Even Higher	p. 48
Hitler Visits	p. 52
Adolf Hitler: Monster Unleashed	p. 52
A "Secret Weapon" for War	p. 54
Peenemunde's Last Days	p. 59
Night of Fire	p. 60
Setbacks for the A-4 Rocket	p. 62
Production and Secrecy Mount	p. 64
Horrors at Mittelwerke Factory	p. 65
Dreaded Knock in the Night	p. 67
Bigger and Better Rockets	p. 69
Von Braun's Conscience	p. 70
Operation Paperclip	p. 73
Darkening Dangers from Within	p. 74
Chess Game with Fate	p. 75
Seeking Capture	p. 78
Initiating "Paperclip"	p. 79
Walter Dornberger's Deal	p. 80
V-2s in the United States	p. 81
The Rocket Team Arrives	p. 83
Family Roots	p. 85
Paperclip: Wise or Unwise?	p. 86
Building V-2s in White Sands	p. 88
Passports to the Future	p. 90
Prophet of the Space Age	p. 93
Raising Public Interest: Collier's Magazine	p. 95
Enter Walt Disney	p. 97
I Aim at the Stars	p. 98
Huntsville Becomes Rocket City	p. 101
Sputnik: The Space Race Is On	p. 101
Waiting on the Back Burner	p. 102
At Home in Alabama	p. 103
"The Team" at Work	p. 103
Vanguard's Day	p. 105
The Team's Success	p. 107
Sputnik and the Spotlight on Space	p. 109
The Next Move	p. 110
Going to the Moon	p. 110
Success: Saturn Soars and the Eagle Lands	p. 115
The Job: Design, Build, Test	p. 115
Saturn: Rocket Giant	p. 118
Redundancy: Making Sure	p. 120
Going to the Moon: The Reality, Apollo 11	p. 121
Next Stop, Mars?	p. 125
Washington, D.C.: A Cool Welcome	p. 126
Voyage to Mars: Unfulfilled Vision	p. 127
Paine: An Ally Lost	p. 128
Final Days: Spirited to the Last	p. 130
Wernher von Braun's Gift	p. 133
Conclusion: Weighing Human Tragedy	p. 137
Chronology	p. 141
Glossary	p. 145
Further Resources	p. 149
Index	p. 157
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Wernher von Braun, Revised Edition examines the life and career of the famed rocket scientist who supervised the development of the powerful rockets used by Apollo astronauts to reach the moon. Controversy surrounds von Braun's work in Germany during World War II, and this revised edition examines some of the complex issues brought to light by the availability of formerly top-secret documents. A new chapter explores the significance of his statements to the U.S. Army concerning his wartime career as a V-2 rocket builder—and of his membership in the Nazi Party and commission to a position in the SS (secret service). Containing new sidebars and expanded coverage of individuals such as rocket pioneer Hermann Oberth and science writer Willy Ley, the American Rocket Society, and von Braun's views on civil rights, this updated book also features a new chronology of key events in von Braun's life; recent publications on von Braun, rocketry, and the U.S. space program; and helpful Web sites on related topics.