RocketRocket CityCity RisingRising
HuntsvilleHuntsville && thethe EarlyEarly SpaceSpace Race,Race, 19401940 -- 19631963
StephenStephen WaringWaring •• HistoryHistory DepartmentDepartment •• UAHuntsvilleUAHuntsville TextileTextile TownTown
HuntsvilleHuntsville •• 13,15013,150 pop.pop. 19401940 RedstoneRedstone ArsenalArsenal KellerKeller MotorsMotors
19481948 --19501950
RedstoneRedstone Bldg.Bldg. 481481 • (now 4471)
““SuperSuper ChiefChief ”” • 18 “woodies ”
““WatercressWatercress CapitalCapital ofof thethe WorldWorld ”” GermanGerman ArmyArmy MissileryMissilery USUS ArmyArmy MissileryMissilery
OperationOperation Paperclip,Paperclip, 19451945 ProjectProject HermesHermes • Fort Bliss/White Sands, NM • 1946 -54 58 V -2 flights • Bumper, 2 -stage V -2 ColdCold WarWar ColdCold WarWar
SpringSpring 19471947 • R-1 launch (Soviet V -2)
Aug.Aug. 19491949 • Joe -1, Soviet A -bomb MilitarizationMilitarization
Apr.Apr. 1414 19501950 •• NSCNSC --6868 JuneJune 19501950 •• KoreanKorean WarWar MilitaryMilitary spendingspending •• 19101910 --1930:1930: 1%1% ofof GNPGNP •• 1960:1960: 10%10% ofof GNPGNP 11 ofof 77 jobsjobs inin militarymilitary --industrialindustrial complexcomplex ArmyArmy MissileryMissilery
Apr.Apr. 19491949 • Rocketry begins at Redstone Arsenal Oct.Oct. 19491949 • Send White Sands team to HSV Apr.Apr. 11 19501950 • Arrival White Sands team JulyJuly 19501950 • Redstone project begins JuneJune 19511951 • 5,000 workers on arsenal ArmyArmy MissileryMissilery
OrganizationalOrganizational featuresfeatures StateState factoryfactory • German: “everything - under -one -roof ” • US: “arsenal system ” WorkforceWorkforce • German engineers • GI Bill engineers & scientists • Blue -collar artisans ContractorsContractors • incl. Thiokol, Chrysler, Rocketdyne /North American Aviation ArmyArmy MissileryMissilery
WernherWernher vonvon BraunBraun PromoterPromoter CollierCollier ’’ss • “Man will Conquer Space Soon ” • 1952 -1954 DisneyDisney showsshows 19551955 --19571957 SovietsSoviets inin SpaceSpace
Aug.Aug. 19571957 •• RR--7,7, 11 st SovietSoviet ICBMICBM Oct.Oct. 19571957 •• SputnikSputnik Nov.Nov. 19571957 •• LaikaLaika ArmyArmy inin SpaceSpace
ArmyArmy BallisticBallistic MissileMissile AgencyAgency (ABMA),(ABMA), 19561956
JupiterJupiter --CC • Redstone & two upper stages
Aug.Aug. 19571957 • Nose cone into space
Dept.Dept. ofof DefenseDefense restrictionsrestrictions • Navy ’s Vanguard ArmyArmy inin SpaceSpace
Dec.Dec. 19571957 •• VanguardVanguard delaysdelays && failurefailure
FlopnikFlopnik ,, StayputnikStayputnik
ABMAABMA gogo -- aheadahead ArmyArmy inin SpaceSpace
Jan.Jan. 19581958 •• ExplorerExplorer 11 byby JunoJuno --11 •• JupiterJupiter --CC ++ 44th stagestage SovietSoviet ProgressProgress
19581958 --19611961 • 6 more Sputniks 19591959 • Luna to moon Mar.Mar. 19611961 • Mannequin test flight Apr.Apr. 19611961 • Yuri Gagarin sub -orbital Aug.Aug. 19611961 • Vostok 2–days in orbit Oct.Oct. 19611961 • Ivan, 58 megaton bomb ArmyArmy toto NASANASA
Oct.Oct. 19581958 • NASA ArmyArmy && NASANASA competecompete forfor ABMAABMA ABMAABMA contractorcontractor toto NASANASA • Saturn JulyJuly 19601960 • ABMA transfer to NASA MercuryMercury --Redstone,Redstone, • 4 sub -orbital flights, Dec. 1960 -July 1961 PoliticsPolitics ofof SpaceSpace
EisenhowerEisenhower • Jan. 1961 • “We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military -industrial complex. ” • Feared “scientific - technological elite ” • Later said he was thinking of von Braun (& E. Teller) 1960 Election • JFK vs. Nixon • “missile gap ” RaceRace toto MoonMoon
Apr.Apr. 19611961 •• BayBay ofof PigsPigs MayMay 19611961 •• JFKJFK toto CongressCongress •• "I"I believebelieve thatthat thisthis nationnation shouldshould commitcommit itselfitself toto achievingachieving thethe goal,goal, beforebefore thisthis decadedecade isis out,out, ofof landinglanding aa manman onon thethe MoonMoon andand returningreturning himhim safelysafely toto Earth."Earth." SaturnSaturn BoomBoom
HSVHSV populationpopulation • 13,150 in 1940 • 16,437 in 1950 • 72,365 in 1960 • 143,700 in 1967 HSVHSV growthgrowth • 1945 - 12 industries & 3,500 homes • 1964 - over 40 industries & 30,000 homes HSVHSV perper capitacapita incomeincome • 50% of national average in 1960 • 80% in 1967 CulturalCultural changeschanges ““SpaceSpace ReconstructionReconstruction ””
African -Americans • 18% HSV pop. • 1% Marshall labor Gov. Geo. Wallace • “Schoolhouse door, ” June 11, 1963 White House to HSV • Desegregate! Governor, would you like to go to the moon? GW: “well, you guys might not bring me back! ” More impact on HSV culture than MSFC labor force ThankThank You!You!
[email protected]@uah.edu
DunarDunar && WaringWaring ’’ss book,book, PowerPower toto Explore:Explore: MSFC,MSFC, 19601960 --19901990 • free online: history.msfc.nasa.gov