Overview
- On March 16, 1926, Robert H. Goddard launched the first liquid‑fueled rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts, marking the technical origin of modern rocketry.
- NASA records show the prototype flew for 2.5 seconds to 41 feet in altitude and came down 184 feet away, a modest feat that proved the concept.
- Goddard went on to develop steering systems, fuel pumps and gimbaled engines, laying groundwork for satellites, crewed spaceflight and lunar missions.
- NASA is developing Artemis II to send four astronauts around the Moon in Orion atop the Space Launch System, representing the first crewed lunar voyage plan since Apollo.
- Private companies now drive much of U.S. launch activity, with SpaceX reaching near‑biweekly launches by 2024, while Artemis remains behind schedule and over budget.