Brief History of Rockets: by National Aeronautics and Space Administration

By National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Book Id: WPLBN0000670153
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.4 MB
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Title:	Brief History of Rockets: by National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Author:	National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Government publications, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.), NASA reference publication
Collections:	Space and Aviation eDocuments Collection, NASA Publication Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	National Aeronautics and Space Administration


Citation APA MLA Chicago And Space Administration, N. A. (n.d.). Brief History of Rockets. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.us/

Excerpt
Excerpt: One of the first devices to successfully employ the principles essential to rocket flight was a wooden bird. The writings of Aulus Gellius, a Roman, tell a story of a Greek named Archytas who lived in the city of Tarentum, now a part of southern Italy. Somewhere around the year 400 B.C., Archytas mystified and amused the citizens of Tarentum by flying a pigeon made of wood. Escaping steam propelled the bird suspended on wires. The pigeon used the action-reaction principle, which was not to be stated as a scientific law until the 17th century...