Goddard launches the first liquid-fuel rocket

What happened

Robert Goddard launched the world's first liquid-fueled rocket from a farm in Auburn, Massachusetts. It flew for 2.5 seconds and rose 41 feet.

Why it matters

Liquid propulsion is the technology every orbital rocket since has depended on.

Sources

• Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Dr. Robert H. Goddard's 1926 rocket (collection record) (1926) · Reputable source