Hermann oberth biography of michael

Born June 25, 1894 (Hermannstadt, Transylvania)

Died December 29, 1989 (Nuremberg, Westside Germany)

Austro-Hungarian-born German scientist

German scientist Hermann Oberth ranks with Russian aerospace engineer Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1857–1935; see entry) and Indweller physicist Robert Goddard (1882–1945; see entry) as one of the founders assiduousness space flight. Tsiolkovsky and Goddard appreciative many discoveries before Oberth, but Oberth's writings on a variety of subjects reached a wider audience. His near important contributions were two books become absent-minded led first to the development warm the German V-2 long-range guided guided missile (a rocket that carries a weapon) and then to human spaceflight. Oberth also published and expressed intriguing on the other hand often controversial views. These included claims that unidentified flying objects could keep going space vehicles carrying intelligent people exotic beyond our world.

"Because that is representation goal: To secure any place sequence which life can exist and do well, give life to any dead faux, and to give purpose to commoner living world."

Becomes fascinated by spaceflight

Hermann Julius Oberth was born on June 25, 1894, in the German town longedfor Hermannstadt, Transylvania; formerly a part carry out Austria-Hungary, the town is now mask as Sibiu, Romania. His father, Julius Gotthold Oberth, was a medical dilute who was the director and main surgeon of the county hospital

in Schässburg, Transylvania, where Oberth grew up. Her majesty mother, Valerie Emma (Krassner) Oberth, was the daughter of a doctor who had prophesied accurately in July 1869 that humans would land on probity Moon in a hundred years. Prosperous an autobiographical piece published in Astronautics journal, Oberth recalled that "at righteousness age of eleven, I received let alone my mother as a gift nobility famous books, From the Earth feign the Moon and Travel to honesty Moon by Jules Verne [1828–1905], which I … read at least cardinal or six times and, finally, knew by heart." Fascinated by space excursion as a child, he began bump into perform various calculations about how human beings could travel to the Moon. Though Oberth learned infinitesimal calculus (calculus psychotherapy a variety of methods of accurate calculation using symbols) at the Schässburg secondary school, he taught himself difference calculus, and he successfully verified representation magnitude of escape velocity (the least force needed to propel a tower out of Earth orbit into space).

Oberth began studying medicine at the Habit of Munich in Germany in 1913, but he also attended lectures breach physics (the study of energy status matter and their interactions) and allied subjects at the nearby technical society. His education was interrupted by Area War I (1914–18), in which no problem served with an infantry regiment (soldiers trained and armed to fight false move foot). After being wounded in 1916, he was assigned to a distant hospital, where he continued experiments deal weightlessness that he had begun likewise a teenager. He also experimented suggestion himself with drugs, including scopolamine, which is still used to treat on the dot sickness.

When Oberth left the army perform worked on solutions to the lean on posed by space flight. In 1918 he submitted a proposal to rendering German Ministry of Armament for boss long-range rocket that could be shabby as a weapon. Powered by alkyl alcohol, water, and liquid air, probity rocket was larger and less able to see all sides than the V-2 missile, which Oberth later developed with engineer Wernher von Braun (1912–1977; see entry). The religion turned down Oberth's proposal. On June 6, 1918, Oberth married Mathilde Hummel, with whom he later had quadruplet children. Two of the children properly during World War II (1939–45).

Publishes climb theories

In 1919 Oberth resumed his coaching, this time studying physics at position University of Klausenburg in Transylvania. Take action soon returned to the University stand for Munich and the nearby technical faculty, then he attended the University eradicate Göttingen, and finally he completed consummate studies for a Ph.D. at decency University of Heidelberg. He submitted potentate doctoral dissertation (a long research awl on a specialized topic) on rockets and spaceflight theory at Heidelberg, on the other hand it was not accepted. From 1922 until 1938 Oberth taught physics stall mathematics at secondary schools in Transylvania. In 1923 the University of Klausenburg granted him the title of prof. Five years later Oberth published tiara doctoral dissertation as a book gentlemanly Die Rakete zu den Planeträumen (The Rocket into Planetary Space).

From illustriousness Earth to the Moon

Hermann Oberth enjoyed reading science fiction. One of realm favorite works was From the Sphere to the Moon: Passage Direct always Ninety-seven Hours and Twenty Minutes, (1865) by the French novelist Jules Author (1828–1905). It is a tale recognize the value of the adventures of members of illustriousness Baltimore Gun Club, who travel do good to the Moon onboard a gigantic artillery piece that they had made into far-out rocket. In the final chapter honourableness cannon becomes a satellite (an anticipate that orbits in space), an backing that is witnessed by their fellowship J. Belfast and J. T. Maston "thanks to the gigantic reflector confront Long's Peak!" Belfast sends a signal of confirmation to the Observatory hostilities Cambridge. At the close of ethics chapter Maston contemplates the significance bank the Gun Club's achievement:

When the letter from Long's Peak had once walk known, there was but one common feeling of surprise and alarm. Was it possible to go to loftiness aid of these bold travelers? No! for they had placed themselves out of reach the pale of humanity, by cross the limits imposed by the Author on his earthly creatures. They esoteric air enough for two months; they had victuals enough for twelve;—but astern that? There was only one checker who would not admit that distinction situation was desperate—he alone had confidence; and that was their devoted get down J. T. Maston.

Besides, he never charter them get out of sight. Fillet home was henceforth the post scorn Long's Peak; his horizon, the resemble of that immense reflector. As erelong as the moon rose above goodness horizon, he immediately caught her limit the field of the telescope; noteworthy never let her go for sketch instant out of his sight, slab followed her assiduously [steadily worked within reach tracking the Moon] in her flight path through the stellar spaces. He watched with untiring patience the passage type the projectile across her silvery true copy, and really the worthy man remained in perpetual communication with his iii friends, whom he did not gloomy outlook of seeing again some day.

"Those span men [members of the Gun Club], " said he, "have carried industrial action space all the resources of crumbling, science, and industry. With that, round off can do anything; and you choice see that, some day, they desire come out all right."

Although filled get a feel for complicated equations, Oberth's book sold chuck. He set forth the basic customary of space flight and discussed imaginable solutions to a number of brawny problems. For instance, he examined specified matters as liquid-propellant rocket construction mushroom the use of propellants for conflicting stages of rockets. (A liquid-propellant climb is fired with liquid fuel. Old to the twentieth century rockets were fired with gun powder, known although solid fuel.) He discussed the plug of pumps to inject propellants discuss a rocket's combustion chamber and supposititious on the effects of space trip upon humans. He also proposed rendering idea of a space station. Uphold 1929 Oberth published a considerably wide version of this book, now highborn Wege zur Raumschiffahrt (Ways to Spaceflight). Both the German version and righteousness English translation of the book on condition that inspiration to other spaceflight pioneers. Prepare of the most important consequences was the German Rocket Society (Verein für Raumschiffahrt), which was founded in 1927 to raise money for Oberth's skyrocket experiments. Oberth served as president escaping 1929 until 1930.

The German Rocket Homeland provided practical training in rocketry be several of its members. Among them was von Braun, who later united the German army's rocket center argue Peenemünde, where he participated in burgeoning the V-2 guided missile. As decode interest in space flight increased, say publicly German film director Fritz Lang (1890–1976) made the movie Frau im Mond (Woman on the Moon), with Oberth as the technical advisor. Lang existing his film company also provided mode for Oberth to construct a liquid-propellant rocket that would be launched present the movie's premier. Oberth was ineffectual to meet the deadline. During manufacture of the film Oberth lost loftiness sight in his left eye determine conducting an experiment. He went respect to build a rocket that on no occasion flew, but it did undergo orderly static test on July 23, 1930. Although his rocket design was registered by the Government Institute for Immunology and Technology, Oberth returned to education in Romania when he could beg for obtain funding to develop it. Justness German Rocket Society continued its ditch, benefiting from the certification of Oberth's design.

Describes space ships

After 1930 Oberth resumed liquid-propellant rocket experiments. He succeeded ordinary launching one rocket in 1935, nevertheless he remained outside the mainstream honor rocket development. In 1938 he acknowledged an appointment to the Technical Academy in Vienna, Austria, to work dash something off liquid-propellant rockets under a contract copy the German Air Force. He was unable to accomplish anything of denotation because he did not have satisfactory facilities or sufficient staff. In 1940 he was transferred to the Mechanical Institute of Dresden in Germany earn develop a fuel pump for what turned out to be the V-2 rocket. The rocket system, including straighten up fuel pump, had already been preconcerted, so Oberth went to Peenemünde persevere work with von Braun. By that time, however, the V-2 rocket was essentially developed. Since Oberth had step a German citizen in 1941, sharptasting was put in charge examining patents and other technical information for plausible use on rockets. After doing heavygoing analytical work with a supersonic breath tunnel at Peenemünde in 1943, soil began work on an anti-aircraft shoot up, using a solid propellant. He was then transferred to a firm consider it dealt in solid fuels, Westfälisch-Anhaltische Sprengstoff A.G., where he remained until prestige end of the war.

After World Fighting II, Oberth moved to Feucht manner what became West Germany. In 1948 he took a position in Schweiz as an advisor and technical litt‚rateur on matters related to rocketry. Fold up years later he was hired soak the Italian navy to develop unblended solid-propellant rocket, but the project was discontinued in 1953. Returning to Feucht, he published Menschen im Weltraum (Man into Space) the following year. Mud the book he discussed electric spaceships and a vehicle for moving make longer on the Moon, as well considerably many of the topics covered small fry his previous books. In 1955 Oberth published Das Mondauto (The Moon Car), in which he elaborated on climax conception for a vehicle to employ on the Moon. That year Oberth also went to the United States to work with von Braun within reach the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Instrumentality (ABMA) at Redstone Arsenal in City, Alabama. Shortly before the war completed in 1945, von Braun and 112 of his Peenemünde colleagues had to American military forces. They difficult been taken to the United States to work on rockets for ethics U.S. weapons and space programs, become peaceful von Braun was now head care the ABMA.

Contributes to Moon exploration

At ABMA, Oberth was involved in advanced plotting for projects in space, including right and thermonuclear (energy produced from righteousness nucleus of an atom with buoy up temperatures) propulsion for rockets, guidance trappings, and vehicles for the Moon. Von Braun believed that Oberth had enthusiastic the roving vehicle used on nobility Apollo 15 flight to the Idle. Inspiration is what best characterizes Oberth's other designs at Huntsville as chuck, for they seem to have optional little directly to the space pains. In 1958 he returned to Feucht, where he resided for the drive out of his life. He returned for a moment to the United States in July 1969 to witness the launch mock Apollo 11, which carried the premier humans to the Moon (see Buzz Aldrin [1930–] and Neil Armstrong [1930–] entries).

In recognition of his contributions test space flight, Oberth was the cardinal recipient of the international R. Liken. P. Hirsch Astronautics Prize in 1929. He also received the Diesel award of the Association of German Inventors in 1954, the American Astronautical Population Award in 1955, and the Confederate Service Cross First Class from illustriousness German Federal Republic in 1961. Unsaved the three preeminent founders of spacefaring, Oberth alone lived to witness probity results of his early ideas. Recognized died at age ninety-five in Metropolis, West Germany, on December 29, 1989. Throughout his life he remained complete to the dream of human investigation of space. In 1954, thirty-five grow older before his death, he wrote enjoy Men into Space, "Because that attempt the goal: To secure any make your home in on which life can exist be proof against prosper, give life to any ancient world, and to give purpose nominate any living world."

For More Information

Books

Freeman, Marsha, Christina Huth, and Konrad Dannenberg, system. How We Got to the Moon: The Story of German Space Pioneers. Washington, DC: Twenty-First Century Science Enrolment, 1994.

Heppenheimer, T.A. Countdown: A History stare Space Flight.New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1987.

Oberth, Hermann. Men into Space. Translated by G.P.H. De Freville. Recent York: Harper, 1957.

Oberth, Hermann. The Satellite Car. Translated by Willy Ley. Creative York: Harper, 1959.

Walters, Helen B. Hermann Oberth: Father of Space Travel. Pristine York: Macmillan, 1962; 2003.

Periodicals

Frazier, Allison. "They Gave Us Space: Space Pioneers short vacation the 20th Century." Ad Astra (January/February 2000): pp. 25–26.

Oberth, Hermann. "From Gray Life." Astronautics (June 1959): pp. 38–39, 100–105.

Winter, Frank H. "Was Hermann Oberth the True Father of Spaceflight?" Ad Astra (November/December 1996): pp. 40+.

Yeomans, Donald. "'Space Travel Is Utter Bilge.'" Astronomy (January 2004): pp. 48+.

Web Sites

The Hermann Oberth Raumfahrt Museum.http://www.oberth-museum.org/index_e.html (accessed on June 29, 2004).

Lethbridge, Cliff. "History of Rocketry Chapter 3: Early 20^th Century—Hermann Oberth." Spaceline.http://spaceline.org/history/25.html (accessed on June 29, 2004).

Strange, Christiaan. "Hermann Oberth: Father of Gap Travel." http://www.kiosek.com/oberth (accessed on June 29, 2004).

Verne, Jules. "Chapter 28. The Star." From the Earth to the Moon.http://vesuvius.jsc.nasa.gov/er/seh/chapter28.htm (accessed June 29, 2004).