Rocketry’ 
By Donatp Cox 
and 
MICHAEL STOIKO 
[With 1 plate] 
INTRODUCTION ? 
Apvances in the social and physical sciences, as in other fields, are 
usually brought about by a slow process of evolution—by the cumula- 
tive effects of innumerable small contributions. The history of modern 
technology, particularly rocketry, has been the story of such a process. 
Recently, however, four historic events have occurred which, con- 
sidered in themselves, are milestones in the history of modern tech- 
nological development. But when these seemingly independent oc- 
currences are considered together—related to rocketry—they have a 
phenomenal catalytic effect on this normally slow process. 
The first such event occurred on the evening of September 8, 1944, 
the date the first German vengeance weapon, the V-2, fell on London. 
The second event, which startled the world on the morning of August 
6, 1945, was the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima. The third event 
occurred just before noon on January 19, 1946. It was the first suc- 
cessful radar contact with the moon. The fourth and most spectacular 
recent event occurred on October 4, 1957. The “beep ... beep... 
beeps” had announced to the world that man had established his first 
artificial earth satellite. 
These achievements some day will be recorded as the “four scien- 
tific wonders of the age,” responsible for changing the course of 
human evolution. Together, they symbolize the accelerating force 
which is rapidly making the story of modern rocketry synonymous 
with the conquest of outer space. The outgrowth of these four sym- 
bols provides the foundations for this world force . . . space-power. 
1Excerpts from the Preface and from Chapter 2 of Spacepower, and Chapter 3, 
“Rocketry Today,” from the same book, by Donald Cox and Michael Stoiko, are reprinted 
by permission of the publisher, The John C. Winston Co. 
Epiror’s Note: Since the publication of this book, some of the missiles mentioned in 
this survey have been dropped and many new missiles and facilities have appeared in the 
arsenals of the various nations. 
3Excerpts from Preface to Spacepower. 
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