[123] Ready for flight of June 25 1935

Photographer

Esther C. Goddard

Preview

Description

Photograph of a rocket "ready for flight of June 25, 1935" (annotation by Esther Goddard). The rocket for the June 25, 1935 test (aka A9) was fitted with a new timing device for the parachute and a cushioned gyroscope. The rocket rose 120 feet and tipped into the wind on what was described as a windy day. The 'A9' flight can be seen between 08:32 and 08:50 on Reel 5 of The Goddard Rocket Film Reels.

From September 1934 through October 1935, Robert Goddard and his crew conducted what they named their 'A' series of tests in Roswell, New Mexico. The 'A' series of tests used simple pressure feed, gyroscopic control using vanes, and parachutes. Interestingly, in his book Rocket Man: Robert H. Goddard and the Birth of the Space Age, David A. Clary posits that "Goddard's emphasis on gyroscopes was the biggest technical mistake of his career". Clary's reasoning for this assessment is that he was "not trying to build a guided missile, which would have required steering to reach a destination. Rather, his were sounding rockets, intended to rise straight up and then return to Earth by parachute. Gyroscopes could be useful for steering, but were cumbersome and unnecessary for stabilization".

'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. Additionally, almost all of the photographs were taken by Esther herself.

Photographs were scanned at 400dpi.

Date Taken

6-25-1935

Type

image

Genre

photograph

Format

jpg

Keywords

Robert Goddard, rocketry, Roswell, New Mexico, liquid-fuel rockets

Recommended Citation

Goddard, Esther C., "[123] Ready for flight of June 25 1935" (1935). The Goddard Rocket Researches: A Photographic Record [Individual Photographs]. 123.
https://commons.clarku.edu/goddardphotographs/123

Rights

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