Traces the life and times of American rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard, describing his essential contributions to the science and technology of the twentieth century, the sometimes turbulent life of the visionary genius, and his pivotal role in launching the Space Age. Reprint. 20,000 first printing Goddard was the American father of rocketry and space flight, launching the world's first liquid-fuel rockets and the first powered vehicles to break the sound barrier. (Technology & Industrial Arts) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi INTRODUCTION xv CHRONOLOGY OF ROBERT H. GODDARD xix ABBREVIATIONS USED IN TEXT AND NOTES xxiii PROLOGUE JUSTICE FOR BOB GODDARD 1(4) ONE: AN VERSARY DAY 5(16) HEART OF THE COMMONWEALTH 6(1) THE CHERRY TREE 7(7) TO FLY AMONG THE STARS 14(2) THE HOPE OF TODAY 16(5) TWO: SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE WILL PROBABLY BE ACCOMPLISHED 21(20) AS USEFUL A UNIT AS POSSIBLE 22(6) THE GENERAL NOTION OF A PLAN 28(5) AND EVERYBODY CONNECTED WITH YOU 33(4) AN INDELIBLE IMPRESSION ON MY MIND 37(4) THREE: SOME FIRST-RATE WORK YET 41(18) HE WILL HAVE THE VITALITY TO PULL HIM THROUGH 41(3) THE PROBLEM OF RAISING A BODY 44(7) TAKE CHANCES, AND DO WHAT WE CAN 51(3) IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN HIM DOWN 54(5) FOUR: EXTREME ALTITUDES 59(22) I REGARD THE SCHEME AS WORTH PROMOTING 59(6) CAN'T YOU SEE THAT THERE'S MILLIONS IN THAT THING FOR YOU? 65(3) INDICATIONS ARE THAT SPIES ARE ACTIVE 68(5) OFFICIAL INERTIA ONLY OBSTACLE 73(8) FIVE: PROFESSOR HAS PERFECTED INVENTION FOR EXPLORING SPACE 81(22) I WAS ENTHUSIASTIC OVER THE WAY I HAVE BEEN TREATED 82(2) THE IDEAL TYPE OF ROCKET IS, HOWEVER, THE LIQUID-PROPELLANT ROCKET 84(3) A METHOD OF REACHING EXTREME ALTITUDES 87(10) SHE WOULD CERTAINLY SEE THAT HE WAS CONSTANTLY ENCOURAGED 97(6) SIX: THIS FLIGHT WAS SIGNIFICANT, AS IT WAS THE FIRST 103(20) HE'D GO AWAY FOR A FEW DAYS OR A WEEK AND HIS CLASSES WOULD BE CANCELED 104(3) THIS HAS BEEN DISTINCTLY AN AMERICAN PIECE OF WORK 107(5) HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SEND A ROCKET UP INTO THE AIR 112(7) I THINK I'LL GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! 119(4) SEVEN: NELL 123(24) IT IS PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE TO SEND A ROCKET TO THE MOON 124(3) UNTIL YOU GET A GOOD HIGH FLIGHT I DO NOT CONSIDER YOUR ROCKET DEVELOPED 127(6) MAN IN MOON SCARED GREEN 133(5) IN THE FIELD OF AVIATION THEY WERE WAY BEYOND THEIR TIME 138(9) EIGHT: THE GREAT ADVENTURE IN NEW MEXICO 147(20) LEAVE THE GATES AS YOU FIND THEM 148(7) COME AND SEE GODDARD THE MAN WHENEVER YOU FEEL LIKE IT 155(3) SEND ME A REPORT OF PROGRESS SO THAT I COULD HAVE A LITTLE NEWS TO GIVE HER 158(5) HUMANITY AMONG THE FACULTY 163(4) NINE: HE WAS A HOBBYIST 167(22) I WONDER WHAT IS HAPPENING 168(1) FLYING COUPLE VISIT WITH DR. GODDARD 169(7) HIS MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WOULD HAVE HAD A STRONG INFLUENCE 176(5) THE MOST THRILLING SIGHT I HAVE EVER WITNESSED 181(8) TEN: HAVE TO CARRY ON ALONE 189(22) NOT SAYING IT WITH FLOWERS, BUT WITH DOLLARS 190(9) A BILLOWING RIVER OF FIRE 199(1) PROBLEMS REGARDING NATIONAL DEFENSE ARE BEGINNING TO ARISE 200(7) IT IS A CASE OF A SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE 207(4) ELEVEN: ONE OF THE PITIES OF THE PRESENT WAR TIME 211(1) BOB NEEDS HOWARD MORE DESPERATELY THAN EVER 212(5) THE UNIVERSITY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MY RESIGNATION 217(4) VERGELTUNGSWAFFE 221(7) ALMOST SINGLE-HANDED, DR. GODDARD DEVELOPED ROCKETRY 228(5) TWELVE: WE HAVE COLLABORATED IN SERVING BOB'S MEMORY 233(22) THE PATENTS WERE MY PRIMARY GOAL 234(8) EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO INFORM THE PUBLIC 242(5) THERE ARE STILL SOME TAG ENDS TO DO FOR BOB 247(6) HE TOOK HIMSELF TOO SERIOUSLY 253(2) EPILOGUE: INTO FIELDS OF THE IMMORTALS 255(6) NOTES 261(38) BIBLIOGRAPHY 299(18) INDEX 317