3.4 Early Astronautical Societies and Historical Merits
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societies such as the Group for the studies of Interplanetary Travels, Group for the
Studies of Rockets, Gas Dynamic Laboratory, Group for the Studies of Reactive
Motions and Jet Propulsion Research Institute, other ones such as the Ukrainian
Space Research Society and the Interplanetary Research Department at the Soviet
Inventor Association, had also carried out the extensive publicities, popularities,
studies and experiments on aerospace science. Except for the well-known Katyusha
rocket, a kind of rocket weapon using solid propellants, the liquid rockets developed
by the astronautic societies were not used in the Second World War. Nevertheless,
the astronautic societies cultivated a large group of specialists with rich theoretical
research and practical experience, laying a consolidated foundation for the successful
launch of the first artificial earth satellite and making indelible contributions to the
development of human space efforts.
3.4.2 German Society for Space Flight
In the 1920s, Hermann Oberth’s book “The Rocket into Interplanetary Space” became
so widely popular in German-speaking Central Europe, inspiring a group of young
German people to be fascinated and love for astronomy, rocketry and astronautics,
among which Johannes Winkler (1897−1947) was a big fan of Oberth and his works.
During the First World War, Winkler joined the German army and was severely
wounded at the Battle of Lake Narocz in 1916, leading to a lengthy hospitalization. After seven months in the hospital, he attended the Danzig Technical College,
graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1918. While working as
an engineer for Junkers Aircraft Company in the city of Breslau, Germany (today
Wroclaw, Poland), Winkler became seriously fascinated with Oberth’s calculations
proving the feasibility of manned space travel using liquid propellant rockets.
On June 1927, the Junkers Aircraft engineer Winkler together with other two
astronautic enthusiasts, a paleontology student Willy Ley and a construction engineer
Max Valier, founded the Society for Space Flight (Verein fuer Raumschiffahrt−VfR)
in Breslau, Germany. In addition to the three founders, among its first members
were also Hermann Oberth, Walter Hohmann and Rudolph Nebel, who are now
legendary names in the history of early space flight. Winkler was elected as the first
president of the Society, and the Society decided to create an academic journal entitled
“The Rocket”. The Society’s aims are: to carry out theoretical and experimental
researches on rocket and space flight; to verify and apply the theories presented
by Oberth in his book; to develop a large-size spaceship that can carry people to
outer space or other planets. In order to disseminate the idea of space flight to the
public, the Society decided to edit and publish an intellectual book, “The Possibility
of Interplanetary Travel”, by Willy Ley as its chief editor. To devote to studying
liquid rockets, Winkler quitted his job at the Junkers Aircraft Company. With the
Society expanding rapidly, its membership had reached 900 people by 1929, in
which not only were there the famous experts, besides Oberth, such as the French
astronautic pioneer Robert Esnault-Pelterie, the Austrian rocket theorist Franz von
127
societies such as the Group for the studies of Interplanetary Travels, Group for the
Studies of Rockets, Gas Dynamic Laboratory, Group for the Studies of Reactive
Motions and Jet Propulsion Research Institute, other ones such as the Ukrainian
Space Research Society and the Interplanetary Research Department at the Soviet
Inventor Association, had also carried out the extensive publicities, popularities,
studies and experiments on aerospace science. Except for the well-known Katyusha
rocket, a kind of rocket weapon using solid propellants, the liquid rockets developed
by the astronautic societies were not used in the Second World War. Nevertheless,
the astronautic societies cultivated a large group of specialists with rich theoretical
research and practical experience, laying a consolidated foundation for the successful
launch of the first artificial earth satellite and making indelible contributions to the
development of human space efforts.
3.4.2 German Society for Space Flight
In the 1920s, Hermann Oberth’s book “The Rocket into Interplanetary Space” became
so widely popular in German-speaking Central Europe, inspiring a group of young
German people to be fascinated and love for astronomy, rocketry and astronautics,
among which Johannes Winkler (1897−1947) was a big fan of Oberth and his works.
During the First World War, Winkler joined the German army and was severely
wounded at the Battle of Lake Narocz in 1916, leading to a lengthy hospitalization. After seven months in the hospital, he attended the Danzig Technical College,
graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1918. While working as
an engineer for Junkers Aircraft Company in the city of Breslau, Germany (today
Wroclaw, Poland), Winkler became seriously fascinated with Oberth’s calculations
proving the feasibility of manned space travel using liquid propellant rockets.
On June 1927, the Junkers Aircraft engineer Winkler together with other two
astronautic enthusiasts, a paleontology student Willy Ley and a construction engineer
Max Valier, founded the Society for Space Flight (Verein fuer Raumschiffahrt−VfR)
in Breslau, Germany. In addition to the three founders, among its first members
were also Hermann Oberth, Walter Hohmann and Rudolph Nebel, who are now
legendary names in the history of early space flight. Winkler was elected as the first
president of the Society, and the Society decided to create an academic journal entitled
“The Rocket”. The Society’s aims are: to carry out theoretical and experimental
researches on rocket and space flight; to verify and apply the theories presented
by Oberth in his book; to develop a large-size spaceship that can carry people to
outer space or other planets. In order to disseminate the idea of space flight to the
public, the Society decided to edit and publish an intellectual book, “The Possibility
of Interplanetary Travel”, by Willy Ley as its chief editor. To devote to studying
liquid rockets, Winkler quitted his job at the Junkers Aircraft Company. With the
Society expanding rapidly, its membership had reached 900 people by 1929, in
which not only were there the famous experts, besides Oberth, such as the French
astronautic pioneer Robert Esnault-Pelterie, the Austrian rocket theorist Franz von