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India.com
13-05-2025
- Science
- India.com
Where was world's first missile made 70 years ago? The country is..., over 20000 missiles were fired at...
(Image: World's first missile: The world's first missile was developed by two German scientists, Walter Dornberger and Werner von Braun. During World War II, the German dictator Hitler ordered both of them to create a weapon for the Nazi army that could strike from a distance, utilizing combat aircraft or other launchers. These were the V-1 and V-2 rockets. In 1944, they were used in a barrage of attacks on London. In fact, as early as 1935, German engineer Braun started working on a classified missile programme. Walter Dornberger was the head of artillery for the German army. Dornberger played a crucial role in both World War I and World War II. He was in charge of Germany's V-2 rocket missile and the Peenemünde Army Research Center project. Following Hitler's directives, the German village of Peenemünde was converted into a missile manufacturing factory before World War II. Hitler's Terrible Blunder According to a BBC report, these German engineers assured Hitler that success in rocket testing would easily allow them to win World War II. German scientist Albert Speer was also with them, but Hitler did not agree. The Second World War began in 1939, while the missile program started in 1935. However, Hitler approved the programme to create missiles from rockets in 1943. By then, the German army had already suffered defeats on many fronts in the war. If Hitler had granted approval in the early stages, the story might have been different. Hitler's Secret Missile Factory The village of Peenemünde in Germany was turned into a secret missile factory. Peenemünde was located on the banks of the Peene River in an island of Germany, where this river flows into the Baltic Sea. This large tourist spot was where engineers conducted the rocket missile program from 1936 to 1945, as the area within a 400-kilometer radius was extremely desolate. About 12,000 Jewish workers were assembled for the missile factory and testing. The world's first cruise missile factory was spread over 25 kilometers. There is a museum in Peenemünde where pieces of rockets, engines, and other equipment are preserved. Germany's Successful Missile Test Germany's rocket Aggregate 4 (A-4) was successfully tested in 1942. This was the world's first long-range rocket. It was named the Vengeance Weapon or revenge weapon. The British intelligence agency learned about this rocket factory in 1943. The British Royal Air Force conducted the largest air raid here on August 17, 1943. The factory was relocated to the town of Mittelwerk. After the war, the Allied powers led by the United States, Russia, and Britain tried to acquire the A-4/V-2 missile technology. The first operational cruise missile V-1 was the world's first operational cruise missile. Due to its loud motor, it was called a buzz bomb or doodlebug. Between 1943 and 1945, more than 20,000 missile attacks were carried out on Britain and its allied countries using this rocket. Most of these were conducted on London and the Belgian city of Antwerp between June 1944 and March 1945. It had about one ton of explosive and a range of up to 240 kilometers, but it failed to hit its targets. The first attack was carried out from Germany on Britain on June 13, 1944, during Normandy. The British forces were taken by surprise by this new weapon and it was dubbed the flying bomb. In 1944, Dornberger he was made the chief artillery commander in the German army. But as soon as World War II ended, he was captured again. He was accused of torturing slave labourers for preparing the world's first missile, the V-2 rocket. Von Braun was, in true terms, was the missile man of Germany. He developed ballistic missiles for the U.S. Army, making it a superpower. With the help of such powerful rockets, America launched its first satellite. After World War II, German scientists received invitations from allied countries such as America, the Soviet Union, Britain, and France. Von Braun preferred to stay in America. He was part of America's classified space mission Apollo, which enabled American astronauts to reach the moon. With Von Braun's rocket technology, America developed intercontinental missiles capable of striking from one continent to another.
Forbes
19-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
3 Animals You Didn't Know Went To Space — One Might Still Be Out There, Waiting To Wake Up
Not every space traveler has worn a suit or walked upright. From monkeys to microscopic marvels, ... More these species show how far life on Earth has reached. You've seen the headlines. The James Webb Space Telescope detected methane and carbon dioxide on a distant exoplanet, stirring cautious excitement about the possibility of life beyond Earth. It's the strongest signal yet. But for now, it remains just a theory. What's not theory is this: Life from Earth has already left the planet. And not just humans and dogs, either. Over the decades, we've launched a surprising cast of living organisms into space, from stray cats to microscopic indestructible micro-animals. Their time out there may have been brief, but they crossed a boundary few lifeforms never will. Some may never return. Here are three you probably didn't expect. There's a general misconception that Laika, the Soviet space dog, was the first animal in space. But the truth is quieter and smaller. On February 20, 1947, the United States launched a group of fruit flies aboard a captured German V-2 rocket. This swarm went down in history as the first living organisms from Earth to reach space, beating both dogs and humans by years. The flies were recovered alive after a successful parachute descent, marking the silent start of life's journey off-planet. For context, Laika flew aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957, a full decade later. And Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, followed in 1961. Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) have long been model organisms in science — small, easy to breed and genetically well-understood, even in the 1940s. Their short life cycles make them ideal for studying generational effects, and they require minimal life support systems, making them perfect candidates for early, high-risk flights. The fruit fly continues to be widely used for biological research in genetics, physiology, microbial ... More pathogenesis and life history evolution. More importantly, fruit flies are sensitive to radiation and share some fundamental biological responses with us, making them valuable analogs for studying the genetic effects of cosmic exposure. Researchers were especially interested in how cosmic rays, a largely untested threat at the time, would affect living tissue. Under the microscope, they look almost like animated plush toys — slow-moving, water-bloated and oddly adorable. But tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are among the toughest survivors evolution has ever carved out. And in 2007, they became the first animals known to survive direct exposure to the vacuum and radiation of space. Less than a millimeter long, these water-dwelling, eight-legged micro-animals can endure boiling ... More heat, freezing cold, crushing pressure and radiation. Sent into low Earth orbit aboard the European Space Agency's FOTON-M3 mission, dehydrated tardigrades endured ten days in outer space. When rehydrated back on Earth, most of the specimens protected from UV radiation came back to life. Some even went on to reproduce. Their resilience comes from cryptobiosis, a kind of biological stasis in which they shut down nearly all activity and dry into a glass-like shell. In this 'tun state,' they can survive extreme cold, searing heat and even radiation. And Earth's biological signature may still be out there. Thousands of tardigrades were aboard the Beresheet lander that crashed on the Moon in 2019. While the odds of survival are slim, and reactivation impossible without water, some may be lying dormant on the lunar surface, frozen in time. On October 18, 1963, France launched a black-and-white stray cat, later named Félicette, into suborbital space aboard a Véronique AGI 47 sounding rocket. She was one of 14 female cats trained for spaceflight by the French Centre d'Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique (CERMA). The cats underwent rigorous training, including exposure to intense G-forces and confinement, to prepare for the mission. Félicette's short flight reached an altitude of 157 kilometers, 57 past the Kármán line, during which she experienced about five minutes of weightlessness. Electrodes implanted in her skull transmitted neurological data back to Earth, providing insights into the effects of space travel on living organisms. Remarkably, she survived the flight and was safely recovered. Soon after, she was euthanized so scientists could learn more from her autopsy. Despite her contributions, Félicette's story remained largely unknown for decades. While other animal astronauts like Laika became celebrated figures, Félicette faded into obscurity. It wasn't until 2019 that she received formal recognition with a bronze statue honoring her contributions to space exploration. Félicette eventually was immortalized with a bronze statue depicting her perched atop Earth, gazing ... More skyward. This was unveiled at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France, and honors her unique place in space exploration history . After seeing just how far life from Earth has traveled, how connected do you feel to the life still here? Take the Connectedness to Nature Scale and discover your link to the wild.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany's largest rocket since V-2 crashes and explodes seconds after launch
Credit: @NASASpaceflight/@spacecoastwest A test rocket aimed at kick-starting satellite launches from Europe fell to the ground and exploded 40 seconds after its launch from a Norwegian space port. The uncrewed Spectrum rocket was described as the first attempt at an orbital flight to originate from Europe, where several nations – including Sweden and Britain – have said they want a share of a growing market for commercial space missions. It was the largest German rocket since V-2, the Nazi-era rocket that has often been described as having launched the space age and was the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile. Isar Aerospace, the German company that developed the Spectrum rocket, insisted the failed flight had produced extensive data from which its team could learn. 'Our first test flight met all our expectations, achieving a great success,' Daniel Metzler, the chief executive, said in a statement. 'We had a clean lift-off, 30 seconds of flight, and even got to validate our flight termination system.' Spectrum, a two-stage orbital launch vehicle, is 28 meters long, powered by 10 engines developed in-house by Isar, and was specifically designed to put small and medium satellites into orbit. The firm was founded in 2018. Its website lists a group of investors including Airbus Ventures and Bulent Altan, a Turkish-American aerospace executive and engineer considered to have been a key contributor at Elon Musk's SpaceX. The global space race has increasingly become focused on the deployment of satellite constellations. Several European nations, including the UK, have expressed interest in this growing market for satellite launches. Key companies working on technologies include SpaceX, which conducts launches from the US and operates the Starlink satellite communications service. France's ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus and Safran, uses a spaceport in French Guiana, on the northern coast of South America. In January, the UK Government announced a £20 million investment to help fund the construction and launch of the first British-manufactured and launched orbital rocket. The rocket, Prime, is being built by Orbex, based in Scotland. It is also designed to launch satellites into orbit, and is due to launch from a Scottish spaceport late this year. China is a growing player in the satellite launch race. On Sunday, Chinese state media reported that the country had sent a new satellite into orbit from the island of Hainan, using a Long March-7A rocket. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
30-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Germany's largest rocket since V-2 crashes and explodes seconds after launch
A test rocket aimed at kick-starting satellite launches from Europe fell to the ground and exploded 40 seconds after its launch from a Norwegian space port. The uncrewed Spectrum rocket was described as the first attempt at an orbital flight to originate from Europe, where several nations – including Sweden and Britain – have said they want a share of a growing market for commercial space missions. It was the largest German rocket since V-2, the Nazi-era rocket that has often been described as having launched the space age and was the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile. Isar Aerospace, the German company that developed the Spectrum rocket, insisted the failed flight had produced extensive data from which its team could learn. 'Our first test flight met all our expectations, achieving a great success,' Daniel Metzler, the chief executive, said in a statement. 'We had a clean lift-off, 30 seconds of flight, and even got to validate our flight termination system.' Spectrum, a two-stage orbital launch vehicle, is 28 meters long, powered by 10 engines developed in-house by Isar, and was specifically designed to put small and medium satellites into orbit. The firm was founded in 2018. Its website lists a group of investors including Airbus Ventures and Bulent Altan, a Turkish-American aerospace executive and engineer considered to have been a key contributor at Elon Musk's SpaceX. The global space race has increasingly become focused on the deployment of satellite constellations. Several European nations, including the UK, have expressed interest in this growing market for satellite launches. Key companies working on technologies include SpaceX, which conducts launches from the US and operates the Starlink satellite communications service. France's ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus and Safran, uses a spaceport in French Guiana, on the northern coast of South America. In January, the UK Government announced a £20 million investment to help fund the construction and launch of the first British-manufactured and launched orbital rocket. The rocket, Prime, is being built by Orbex, based in Scotland. It is also designed to launch satellites into orbit, and is due to launch from a Scottish spaceport late this year. China is a growing player in the satellite launch race. On Sunday, Chinese state media reported that the country had sent a new satellite into orbit from the island of Hainan, using a Long March-7A rocket.
