[084] Gyroscope and mounting, May 20 1932

Photographer

Esther C. Goddard

Preview

Description

Photograph of a "gyroscope and mounting, tested May 20,1932" (annotation by Esther Goddard). Robert Goddard had a lifelong interest in gyroscopes and turned his focus to them with intent in 1932 to develop gyroscopes to further stabilize his rockets. 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

5-20-1932

Type

image

Genre

photograph

Format

jpg

Keywords

Robert Goddard, rocketry, liquid-propellant rocket, liquid fuel rocket, rocket motors, Roswell, New Mexico, gyroscopes, stabilization

Recommended Citation

Goddard, Esther C., "[084] Gyroscope and mounting, May 20 1932" (1932). The Goddard Rocket Researches: A Photographic Record [Individual Photographs]. 84.
https://commons.clarku.edu/goddardphotographs/84

Rights

This image is the property of Clark University and is intended for non-commercial use. Images may be copied for research, teaching, personal, or any fair use as defined by U.S. copyright law. Images may not be altered in any way. Users of these images are asked to acknowledge Clark University. For questions or further information about usage rights, please contact archives@clarku.edu.