Timeline on Engines

By Kaidenm

  • First Multi-Stage Rocket

    First Multi-Stage Rocket
    Johann Schmidlap, a German fireworks maker, invents a two-stage rocket, allowing higher altitudes by stacking propulsion stages

  • Newton’s Laws Published

    Newton’s Laws Published
    Isaac Newton publishes his laws of motion, laying the scientific groundwork for modern rocketry

  • Military Rockets in India and Britain

    Military Rockets in India and Britain
    Indian rockets influence British military designs, leading to the Congreve rocke

  • Spin Stabilization

    Spin Stabilization
    Jet vents angled to spin rockets, improving stability and accuracy

  • mathematical theory of rocket propulsion

    mathematical theory of rocket propulsion
    mathematical theory of rocket propulsion

  • Successful liquid-propellant rocket

    Successful liquid-propellant rocket
    In March 1926 American Robert H Goddard flies a rocket powered by liquid oxygen and gasoline. Goddard goes on to build bigger rockets and higher rockets.

  • First manned rocket flight

    First manned rocket flight
    Fritz von Opel became the first person to fly a rocket-propelled plane in Germany – the Opel RAK.1

  • V-2 rockets

    V-2 rockets
    Ballistic missiles are developed by German engineers led by Wernher Von Braun during the Second World War. They burn a mixture of oxygen and alcohol at a rate of 1 ton every 7 seconds. This is the first rocket capable of reaching space.

  • Intercontinental ballistic missiles

    Intercontinental ballistic missiles
    A variety of medium and long-range missiles are developed and become the starting point of the US space programme. Missiles like Redstone, Atlas and Titan would eventually launch astronauts into space.

  • Intercontinental ballistic missiles

    Intercontinental ballistic missiles
    A variety of medium and long-range missiles are developed and become the starting point of the US space programme. Missiles like Redstone, Atlas and Titan would eventually launch astronauts into space.

  • First satellite – Sputnik 1

    First satellite – Sputnik 1
    The Soviet Union launches the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite. This marks the first significant success of the space race between the world’s two superpowers.

  • First American satellite launches

    First American satellite launches
    Jet Propulsion Laboratories launch Explorer 1, America’s first satellite. New Zealander Sir William Pickering is director of JPL.

  • NASA founded

    NASA founded
    The United States formally organises its space programme and calls it National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

  • First atmospheric testing

    First atmospheric testing
    With the help of captured German rocket engineers, the United States begins using V-2 rockets as sounding rockets to make measurements of the atmosphere at high altitudes. Little was known of the atmosphere before this.