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The Goddard Rocket Researches: A Photographic Record, Esther C. Goddard

The Goddard Rocket Researches: A Photographic Record [Photo Album]

This page contains a pdf scan of 'The Goddard Rocket Researches: A Photographic Record' in its entirety. The individual photographs and their descriptions can be seen here.

'The Goddard Rocket Researches: A Photographic Record' is an annotated photo album covering Robert H. Goddard's work and experimentation with rocketry. It was assembled and curated by Esther Goddard sometime after her husband's passing in 1945.

The vast majority of these photographs were taken by Esther herself. Esther was an avid camerawoman and photographer, and during Robert's lifetime she meticulously documented his life's work in rocketry--from experiments and instruments to processes and …

The Robert & Esther Goddard Papers, Robert H. Goddard

Finding Aids

Dr. Robert H. Goddard was a member of the Clark Physics Department for 29 years. Foremost American pioneer of rocket research, he laid the technical and theoretical foundations for many of the developments in long-range rockets, missiles, satellites and space flight, which collectively put us into the Space Age.

The collection includes correspondence, diaries, journals, patent applications and awards, reports, and photographs. The collection also includes original paintings by Dr. Goddard.

Material For An Autobiography [Excerpt], 1927, Robert H. Goddard

March 16, 1926: The First Liquid-Propellant Rocket Launch

An excerpt from 'Material for an Autobiography', written by Robert Goddard in 1927 with some interpolations made in 1933. This writing never materialized into a full autobiography but can be read in The Papers of Robert H. Goddard, Volume I: [1927 and 1933: Material for an Autobiography]. This is an excerpt from that material, which covers the landmark March 16, 1926 rocket launch as well as the months between December 1925 and March 16. Goddard includes excerpts from his diary. Goddard's full diary entries from March 16 and 17, 1926 have been made available as their own excerpt here, …

Robert Goddard's Diary Entry, March 17, 1926, Robert H. Goddard

March 16, 1926: The First Liquid-Propellant Rocket Launch

Robert Goddard's entry for March 17, 1926, from a newly digitized scan of Goddard's 1926 diary. This entry covers the events of the previous day, March 16, in which he achieved the world's first liquid-fuel rocket launch. Goddard kept one diary for each year, from 1898 until his death in 1945.

This entry is included towards the back of the diary, in the 'Memoranda' section, in order to have the space to fit his recounting of the day. The diary was a daily one and only left a few lines for each day. The transcription is as follows:

"The …

Robert Goddard's 1926 Diary, Robert H. Goddard

March 16, 1926: The First Liquid-Propellant Rocket Launch

A newly digitized scan of Robert Goddard's 1926 diary, the year he achieved the world's first liquid-fuel rocket launch. Goddard kept one diary for each year, from 1898 until his death in 1945. Transcriptions of key dates can be found in the section of The Papers of Robert H. Goddard titled '1925-1930: Liquid Propellant Rockets Fly'.

Please note that this is a daily diary, which only leaves a few lines to write about each day. Goddard wrote at more length about March 16th on March 17th but wrote that extra writing in a 'Memoranda' section towards the end of …

Figure 102: Two Tanks For Pressure-Operated Rocket, Winter 1926, Esther C. Goddard

March 16, 1926: The First Liquid-Propellant Rocket Launch

Photograph of two tanks for a pressure-operated rocket. The tank on the right would hold liquid oxygen that created pressure once vaporized (a disassembled view can be seen in Figure 103), and the smaller gasoline tank is on the left. These tanks would be modified in several ways leading up to the March 16, 1926 launch. Photographs of the subsequent tanks can be found in Figure 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, and 115.

These were the first pressure tanks made following December 6, 1925 (the day Robert Goddard achieved the first …

Development Of A Liquid Propelled Rocket, Section Iii: December 1925 - May 1926 [Excerpt], Robert H. Goddard

March 16, 1926: The First Liquid-Propellant Rocket Launch

Excerpt from a report written by Robert Goddard tracing his development of the first liquid-propelled rocket. The full report covers 1921 to 1929. This excerpt contains most of part three which covers everything following December 6, 1925 (the day Robert Goddard achieved the first liquid-fuel rocket to lift its own weight) and May 1926. This excerpt contains everything up through March 16, 1926, the day Goddard saw the world's first successful launch of a liquid-propelled rocket.

The December 6, 1925 test used the pumps, engines, and other moving parts Goddard spent years working with and developing. Following this test, Goddard …