As a young man, von Braun worked in Nazi Germany's rocket development program. He helped design and co-developed the V-2 rocket at Peenemünde Army Research Center during World War II. The V-2 became the first artificial object to travel into space by crossing the Kármán line on 20 June 1944. Following the war, he was secretly moved to the United States, along with about 1,600 other German scientists, engineers, and technicians, as part of Operation Paperclip. He worked for the United States Army on an intermediate-range ballistic missile program, and he developed the rockets that launched the United States' first space satellite Explorer 1 in 1958. He worked with Walt Disney on a series of films, which popularized the idea of human space travel in the US and beyond from 1955 to 1957.
Life and Career
In 1960, his group was assimilated into NASA, where he served as director of the newly formed Marshall Space Flight Center and as the chief architect of the Saturn V super heavy-lift launch vehicle that propelled the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon. In 1967, von Braun was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering, and in 1975, he received the National Medal of Science.
Von Braun is seen by some as escaping justice for his awareness of Nazi war crimes due to the Americans' desire to beat the Soviets in the Cold War. He is also sometimes described by others as the "father of space travel", the "father of rocket science", or the "father of the American lunar program". Towards the end of his career, he also advocated a human mission to Mars.
Key Facts
- Born: January 1, 1912 in Wirsitz, Posen Province, German Empire
- Died: 1977
- Field: Art
Legacy and Impact
The influence of Wernher von Braun extends far beyond his own lifetime. He fundamentally shaped visual arts and creative expression, and his works and artistic innovations remain foundational to this day.
Though he passed away in 1977, his ideas continue to be studied, debated, and built upon by scholars and practitioners worldwide.
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