Wernher von Braun

Wernher von Braun was a German-born rocket engineer and space advocate who played major roles in German rocket development during World War II and later in the United States space program.

Wernher von Braun was a German-born rocket engineer and space advocate who played major roles in German rocket development during World War II and later in the United States space program. He is best known for helping develop the V-2 rocket in Germany and the Saturn V launch vehicle at NASA, which enabled the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

Early life and education

Von Braun was born into an aristocratic German family and later earned a doctorate from the University of Berlin. His early interest in rockets led him into Germany’s interwar rocketry movement.

Work in Germany during World War II

In Germany, von Braun worked on military rocket development and helped design the V-2, a key wartime ballistic missile program. His wartime role has remained historically controversial because of its association with Nazi Germany and forced labour.

Career in the United States

After the war, von Braun and other German rocket specialists went to the United States, where he worked first on Army rocket projects and later for NASA. He became the first director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in 1960.

Apollo and Saturn V

Von Braun’s best-known American achievement was leading development of the Saturn launch vehicles, especially Saturn V. Saturn V carried Apollo 11 to the Moon in 1969.

Legacy

Von Braun is widely regarded as one of the most influential rocket engineers in history, but his legacy is also shaped by the ethical problems of his wartime work.