V2 rocket launch It travelled at four times the Former V-2 Launch Site Statenkwartier Western Europe Netherlands, the South Holland Den Haag V2 launch sites Second World War (1939-1945) Oct 24, 2024 · On October 24, 1946, a V2 rocket launched from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico (USA) in 1946 returned the first footage of Earth from space. [5] Research of military use of long-range rockets began when the graduate studies of Wernher von Braun were noticed by the German Army. The liquid-fueled V-2 was the first large military rocket and the immediate ancestor of the launch vehicles used at the dawn of the Space Age. With a burn time of 59 seconds, the rocket reached an altitude of 70. [6]: 7 The V2 was designed by Nazis to bomb London, Antwerp and other European cities. List of V-2 test launches The list of V-2 test launches identifies World War II launches of the A4 rocket (renamed V-2 in 1944). A4/V2 Mobile Firing Operations 1944-45 The concept for operations of the V2 rocket troops would be as simple as possible, considering that there would be hundreds of troops and specialized vehicles involved. However, the process of supply-prepare-launch called for a specialised infrastructure of railways, roads, compounds, halls with technical facilities, dwellings and above all good camouflage. This Roundup The Peenemünde Army Research Center (German: Heeresversuchsanstalt Peenemünde, [a] HVP) was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the German Army Weapons Office (Heereswaffenamt). The 2-ton, liquid-propellant rocket was designed by rocket scientist Wernher von Braun and proved extraordinarily deadly during World War II. A typical trailer mounted rocket was supported by about thirty vehicles, which included a transportation trailer, mobile crane, launch table trailer, propellant vehicles, and command and Apr 28, 2019 · The V-2 rocket would launch and be guided by a primitive system which could adjust in-flight. Nov 3, 2025 · This week’s launch manifest featured twelve missions launching on nine different rockets, including the first attempt of the second launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. 7/3) firing control vehicle is located about 100-150 meters away from the rocket, usually down in a protective trench that was dug when the site was prepared. This landmark release represents years of research and collaboration. Test launches were made at Peenemünde Test Stand VII, Blizna V-2 missile launch site and Tuchola Forest using experimental and production rockets fabricated at Peenemünde and at the Mittelwerk. If you are standing in the Ruden tower when it launches, you recieve the Aggregat 4 badge. Examples include La Coupole a bunker used to protect large stores of V-2's before launch, and Peenemünde Army Research Center, used for the main testing and development of the V-2. 1 kilometers) and traveled 31 miles (49. GAUMONT BRITISH NEWSREEL (REUTERS)To license this film, visit https://www. Over the Nov 5, 2009 · On October 3, 1942, German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun’s brainchild, the V-2 missile, is fired successfully from Peenemunde, as island off Germany’s Baltic coast. It traveled 118 miles Sep 8, 2014 · This week marks the 70th anniversary of the first V2 rocket attack on London. It is regarded as a revolutionary breakthrough in rocket technology, with Feb 17, 2014 · The V-2 rocket was a revolutionary weapon, the first long range ballistic missile ever. B Media Productions for The Astronomy and Nature Centre Nazi Germany's V-2 rocket facilities were military installations associated with Nazi Germany 's V-2 SRBM ballistic missile, including bunkers and launch pads used to construct, store, and launch the V-2. V-2 facts for kidsThe V-2 rocket (also known as Vergeltungswaffe 2) was the world's first ballistic missile. Inside, the launch control officer asks the man on the steeringtable, "Steuerung klar?" Tonight, my buddies Rem and Tundra and I prepare to watch the V2 Rocket Launch which gives you the hydrofoil badge. Operation Sandy was the codename for the post- World War II launch of a captured V-2 rocket from the deck of the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Midway on September 6 The German V-2 rocket was the world's first large-scale liquid-propellant rocket vehicle, the first long-range ballistic missile, and the ancestor of today's large rockets and launch vehicles. Some vehicles were adapted from existing Wehrmacht equipment and proved quite compatible. Called the A-4 (Aggregat 4) by German Army Ordnance, the rocket was dubbed V-2, or Vergeltungswaffe Zwei ("Vengeance Weapon Two"), by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry when its existence was publicly The V-2 Rocket, developed by Wernher von Braun and his team in Nazi Germany, became the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile and the first man-made object to reach the edge of space. [5] The first successful launch was from Peenemünde on 3 October, 1942, reaching a height of 192 km. It was also the first human-made object to fly into space! Many modern rockets are based on the V-2's design. It was here that the United States first performed test launches of German V-2 rockets captured toward the end of World War II. The V-2 rocket: from weapon of war to the Moon and beyond Sponsored by The Astronomy & Nature Centre Presented by Robert J Dalby Produced by A. britishpathe. Oct 3, 2025 · 3 October 1942: First successful launch of a prototype Aggregat 4 (A4) rocket, V-4 (Versuchsmuster 4), from Prüfstand VII at Heereversuchanstalt Peenemünde, or HVP, the Army Research Center at Peenemünde on the island of Usedom, off the Baltic coast of Germany. The V-2 rocket (German: Vergeltungswaffe 2) was the world's first ballistic missile and first human object to fly in space. 9 miles The White Sands V-2 Launching Site, also known as Launch Complex 33 and originally as Army Launch Area Number 1, is an historic rocket launch complex at White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico. S. The works were attacked by the British in Operation Crossbow from The Feuerleitpanzer (Sd. rockets for the military and NASA’s space program. 9 miles (114. Curator Doug Millard looks back on the rocket that help start the space age. After the war, both the United States and the Soviet Union captured large numbers of V-2s and used them in research that led to the development of their missile and space programs. In order to do this, you must watch the r Operations Sandy and Pushover Launch of a captured V-2 rocket from deck of the U. Nov 7, 2020 · The V-2 rocket traces its origins to Germany, the World Wars and a brilliant young engineer named Wernher von Braun who first invented the V-4 rocket. The first successful launch happened on October 3, 1942, from Peenemünde, Germany. 5-ton rocket, used as a guided missile, that carried a one-ton explosive charge. Sep 8, 2014 · This week (8 September 2014) marks 70 years since the first V-2 rocket attack on London. Every Sunday at 6AM and 6PM BST (use Google to find when it launches in your timezone) it launches from Wolin and flies over Ruden where it explodes. As our space correspondent Richard Hollingham discovers, the legacy of the missile lives on in today’s spacecraft The V-2 rocket, developed by Nazi Germany, was the world’s first long-range ballistic missile and first object to reach space. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant The V-2 was a 13. British Pathé was at the forefront of cinematic journalism, blending information with entertainment to popular effect. [4] All modern rockets are based on the V2 design. Oct 24, 2025 · Tests of the V-2 rockets led to the development of U. This means it was a rocket that followed a curved path to hit a target. V-2 Number 3 is prepared for launch at White Sands Proving Grounds, New Mexico, 10 May 1946. [1] Most Aug 24, 2015 · V1 Cruise Missile V2 Rocket The well-known German vergeltungswaffen (vengeance or retaliation or revenge weapons) were a last-ditch stand to stave off defeat in 1944–1945 by means of pilotless bombs that could be launched against London and other Allied targets. Post engine cut-off the V-2 would fall on a ballistic trajectory at supersonic speeds towards its target. On behalf of researchers Detlev Paul, Henk Koopman, John Pridige, and Mar 29, 2022 · The V2 rocket was the world's first large-scale liquid-propellant rocket, developed between 1936 and 1942 in Nazi Germany. Oct 27, 2012 · NEW JULY 2025: Comprehensive V-2 Launch Records Released to the Public A fully updated and comprehensive list of all wartime operational V-2 combat launches, complete with the most extensive supporting data ever assembled, is now available to the public. The rocket engine burned for 58 seconds. Kfz. (The Space Race – Rockets) 10 May 1946: The first successful launch of a captured V-2 ballistic missile in the United States took place at the White Sands Proving Ground in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico. The specialized support vehicles and efficient supply methods of the V2 contributed greatly to the successful operational record compiled by German rocket troops. May 10, 2025 · V-2 “Round 3” is prepared for launch at White Sands Proving Grounds, New Mexico, 10 May 1946. Called the A-4 (Aggregat 4) by German Army Ordnance, the rocket was dubbed V-2, or Vergeltungswaffe Zwei ("Vengeance Weapon Two"), by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry when its existence was publicly . The firing of up to 8-12 missiles per day by some batteries showed the ruggedness in ingenuity of these vehicles. [3]: 85 Several German guided missiles and rockets of World War II were developed by the HVP, including the V-2 rocket. A4/V2 Sites in Westerwald The V-2 rocket also became the first artificial object to travel into outer space by crossing the Kármán line with the vertical launch of MW 18014 on 20 June 1944. It reached an amazing Before television, people came to movie theatres to watch the news. 9 kilometers) down range. Aug 3, 2000 · The German V-2 rocket was the world's first large-scale liquid-propellant rocket vehicle, the first long-range ballistic missile, and the ancestor of today's large rockets and launch vehicles. The launch of V2 rockets from Loosduinen, The Hague and Wassenaar Theoretically, the V2 could be launched from any location where the ground was firm enough. Sep 19, 2018 · In this post I go to Wassenaar to track down the launch site of the first V-2 rocket to hit London, then I go to Chiswick to see where it landed. Apr 16, 2021 · The First Launch of a V-2 Rocket From America Captured German missiles took flight from the New Mexico desert in the early years after World War II. It set the basis for Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) and space exploration. Navy aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVB-41) during "Operation Sandy", 6 September 1947. Oct 16, 2025 · V-2 rocket, German ballistic missile of World War II, the forerunner of modern space rockets and long-range missiles. They reflected an interservice rivalry, with the later Luftwaffe V-1 missile project being launched out of concern over the V-2 Jul 6, 2017 · V2 Launch Site Near Peenemunde, there is a launch facility that stores the V2 Rocket. The launch control officer and crew enter the Feuerleitpanzer. Oct 3, 2019 · A V-2 A4 rocket launched from Peenemünde, an island off Germany’s Baltic coast, became the first known man-made object to reach space, traveling 118 miles on October 3, 1942. The entire operation required hundreds of soldiers, with the launch team alone needing more than 100 people to service and test the rocket, survey the site, run the support equipment and command the process. R. The V2 rocket also became the first artificial object to travel into space by crossing the Kármán line (edge of space) with the vertical launch of MW 18014 on 20 June 1944. com/video/VLVA50E54AR9OAUWJVCNZGK9EHGK-GERMAN-V2-ROCKETSBritish scient Dome-shaped V2 rocket storage depot and launch facility La Coupole V2 site location What to see This enormous concrete dome-shaped bunker was built between 1943 and 1944 as a facility to construct, store and launch V2 missiles on London and major sites in southern England. Nov 21, 2022 · The world’s first liquid-propellant rocket vehicle to be built in large numbers and the first ballistic missile, the V-2’s shadow extends well into the 20th century — with its design inspiring many modern-day rockets and launch vehicles. The A-4/V-2 Resource Site - The V-2 Rocket Aug 29, 2017 · By Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms Last updated: August 29, 2017 The V-2 (German: Vergeltungswaffe 2, "Retribution Weapon 2"), technical name Aggregat 4 (A4), was the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile. In all, more than 10,000 people and 3,000 vehicles were devoted to V-2 activities.