Learning Center Our Enshrinees

Wernher von Braun

• Known as “the father of space travel.”
• Born in Wirsitz, Germany, in 1912, led the development of the V-2 in Nazi Germany and came to the U.S. in 1945.
• In late 1932, his team developed the V-2 ballistic missile for Hitler. After Nazi Germany’s defeat, von Braun came to the United States in 1945, where he became a leader in rocket development for the U.S. Army and NASA.
• Became Project Director of Guided  Missile Development at Fort Bliss. There his work led to “Project Bumper” which gave the V-2 its greatest achievement when it boosted a “WAC Corporal” missile’s instrument package payload 224 miles into space.
• Named director of the Development Operations Division of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, with direct responsibility for the “Jupiter” intermediate range missile.
• In April 1960, he became director of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center at Huntsville for NASA.
• Led team that developed the Saturn V with his team which allowed Apollo 5 to travel to the moon in 1968.
• Helped found the National Space Institute in 1975 and served as its first president.