ALABAMA’S SPACE AGECreated by Mr. Hemmert

Essential Question

What role did Alabama play in the Space Race?

Courses of Study

Science: ES8.2 Identifying Alabama’s

contribution to the space industry History:

15.Identify major world events that have impacted Alabama since 1950.

15.1 Recognizing Alabamians who have made significant contributions to society since 1950. (ex: Dr. Wernher von Braun)

Redstone Arsenal

Image from www.tennessee-valley.org

History of Redstone Arsenal Located in Huntsville, Alabama. During World War II, it was a site for

scientific experiments and weapon development

After the war, a team of German scientists, led by Dr. Wenher von Braun, came to America to develop rockets for the United States.

Dr. von BraunDr. von Braun is from Germany and once was a Nazi soldier/scientist. Even though he disagreed with their politics, he had to go along with their plans for world domination or face persecution. While he was a Nazi soldier, he mainly worked as a scientist developing rockets for the German army. When Dr. von Braun had a chance to surrender to the Americans, he did. America quickly recruited him to build rockets for them.

Image: http://www.wsmr-history.org/HallOfFame44.htm

Dr. von Braun

Dr. von Braun and his fellow scientists settled in Huntsville, AL.

Redstone Arsenal became their head quarters.

Rocket scientists from around the United States joined them making Huntsville a center for different companies working on rocket technology.

Redstone Projects

Jupiter C rocket: this rocket was designed to put the first satellite into orbit around the Earth.

The only problem with this project was that the Russians beat the Americans when they launch Sputnik in 1957. (MORE TO COME ON THE SPACE RACE)

This caused American scientists to work even harder. They eventually launched the satellite Explorer I, into orbit in 1958.

NASA

In 1958, Congress created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Huntsville became the home of the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Scientists at Marshall developed rockets to put men into space.

In 1961 our first astronaut, Alan Shepard, rode a Mercury-Redstone rocket into space.

NASA

In 1969, a Saturn rocket designed and managed at Marshall Space Flight Center carried the first lunar expedition to the moon and back.

Later astronauts explored the moon’s surface with a lunar roving vehicle that was also developed in Huntsville.

Resources

Dr. von Braun image: http://www.wsmr-history.org/Photos/WernhervonBraun.jpg

NASA Logo: http://www.nasa.gov/