Space Policy Edition #17: The 75th Anniversary of the Rocket Age, with Dr. Michael Neufeld

Fifteen years before Sputnik, on a bright 1942 afternoon in northern Germany, a thundering machine of metal and fire pierced the sky, ultimately touching the edge of space for the first time in history. This was the first successful test of the A4 rocket—later renamed the V2 by Nazi propagandists. It opened a new era of opportunity and terror with rocket technology. Dr. Michael Neufeld, Senior Curator of Space History and the Smithsonian, and author of Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War, joins the Space Policy Edition podcast to discuss the significance of this test and how it happened. We also take a look at current budget progress, good news about the Mars Exploration Program, and Space Policy Adviser Jason Callahan recounts his experience at the International Astronautical Congress in Australia.

A new episode of Space Policy Edition is posted on the first Friday of each month. Let us know what you think! Comment on this page or write to [email protected].

Related Reading and References:

• Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War
• NASA considers kicking Mars sample return into high gear
• SpaceX CEO Elon Musk updates Mars colonization plans
• James Webb Space Telescope launch slips to 2019