2015 Event A SpaceX cargo rocket explodes shortly after launch; the unmanned vessel was carrying over two tons of food, provisions, supplies and equipment for the International Space Station 2015 Event Commercial space company SpaceX successfully launches its Falcon 9 rocket, which has released the Dragon cargo ship into orbit to the International Space Station; the rocket returned to Earth after releasing the Dragon but had a rough landing 2014 Event Hamas rejects a peace deal brokered by Egypt and agreed to by Israel; Israel warned that the rejection could result in military action to stop rocket attacks from Palestinian militants 2014 Event Orbital Sciences Corp. launches its second cargo rocket to the International Space Station; Orbital and competitor Space X each have contracts for space supply delivery 2013 Event Russia's Defense Ministry reports the Soyuz-2-1v Russian rocket was successfully launched 2013 Event The PSLV-XL rocket carrying the Mars Orbiter Mission probe is launched by India's Space Research Organization; the will eventually be sent to Mars 2013 Event Japan's Hisaki satellite is carried to the Uchinoura Space Center by the new Epsilon rocket, which was launched by two laptop computers 2012 Event A video of SpaceX's latest test of the company's Grasshopper rocket with vertical takeoff and vertical landing, is released; the rocket rose 131 feet, hovered and landed safely on the landing pad December 17, 2012 2012 Event The U.N. condemns North Korea for launching a long-range Unha rocket; North Korea claims its purpose is to put its first satellite into space, but critics say the launch is a disguised ballistic missile test 2011 Event In Kabul, a rocket is fired into the compound of Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan 2010 Event Five Palestinians are wounded when Israel conducts four air raids in the Gaza Strip, a response to a fourth rocket attack in southern Israel from Gaza 2004 Death William H. Pickering, rocket scientist, manager of the Mariner missions to Venus and Mars in the 1960s, dies at 93 1996 Death Arthur Rudolph, rocket Engineer, dies at 89 1994 Death Robert Hutton, Winne, U.S. actor (Rocket), dies at 74 1992 Event India launches its Agni rocket 1991 Event Raghib "Rocket" Ismael signs with Toronto Argonauts for $26.2 million 1989 Event 1st U.S. private commercial rocket makes suborbital test flight (NM) 1986 Event Titan rocket explodes seconds after liftoff from Vandenberg AFB 1984 Event Dolphin rocket launched off San Clemente Island 1983 Event India entered space age launching SLV-3 rocket 1982 Event Unmanned rocket sled reaches 9,851 kph at White Sands, New Mexico 1982 Event Conestoga 1, 1st private commercial rocket, makes suborbital flight 1982 Event Canada's Anik D1 Comsat launched by U.S. Delta rocket 1982 Event British torpedo boat Sheffield off Falkland hit by Exocet rocket 1981 Event Satellites China 10 and 11 launched into Earth orbit by B-1 rocket 1980 Event China launch 1st intercontinental rocket 1980 Event Vostok rocket exploded on launch pad while being refueled, killing 50 1979 Event Budweiser rocket car reaches 1190 kph 1977 Death Wernher von Braun, rocket scientist (V1/V2), dies at 65 of smoking 1976 Event Hermes rocket launched by European Space Agency 1972 Event NHL star Maurice "Rocket" Richard signs with WHL Quebec Nordiques 1969 Event 1st launching of heavy N-1 rocket at Baikonur Kazachstan (explodes) 1966 Event Saturn I rocket launched at Cape Kennedy 1965 Event At 10:58 am PST burn up a nuclear rocket in Nevada 1963 Event 1st Dutch rocket launched/reaches height of 10 km 1963 Event Gordie Howe ties Rocket Richard's lifetime 544 goal record 1962 Event Launch of Alouette 1, 1st Canadian satellite (on U.S. Delta rocket) 1961 Event Mercury/Atlas rocket lifted off with an electronic mannequin 1961 Event American Harold Graham makes 1st rocket belt flight 1961 Event 1st all-solid-propellant rocket put in orbit, Wallops Island, Va 1961 Event Soviet Union fires a rocket from Sputnik V to Venus 1960 Event Rocket propelled USAAF research aircraft sets record at 2,150 MPH 1958 Event USAF selects Thor over Jupiter rocket for mass production as ICBM's 1958 Event Eli Beeding experiences 83 g deceleration on a rocket sled, New Mexico 1957 Event 1st U.S. attempt to launch a satellite fails - Vanguard rocket blows up 1957 Event Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Mont, became 1st NHLer to score 500 goals 1957 Event 1st rocket with nuclear warhead fired, Yucca Flat, Nevada 1956 Death Milburn Apt, in X-2 rocket plane reaches 3370 kph, but, dies in crash 1956 Event Bell X-2 rocket plane sets world aircraft speed record of 3,050 kph 1955 Event Bell X-2 rocket plane taken up for 1st powered flight 1955 Event Maurice "Rocket" Richard suspended, sparks 7 hour riot in Montreal 1954 Event Lieutenant Colonel John Strapp travels 632 MPH in a rocket sled 1954 Event Arthur Murray flies X-1A rocket plane to record 27,000 m 1954 Event 1st rocket attains 150 mi (241 km) altitude, White Sands, NM 1953 Event Chuck Yeager reaches Mach 2.43 in Bell X-1A rocket plane 1953 Birthday Rik "The Rocket" Emmett, Toronto, rock vocalist, Triumph 1951 Event U.S. viking rocket reaches 210 km height, record 1950 Event V-2/WAC Corporal rocket launch; 1st launch from Cape Canaveral 1949 Event Truman signs bill establishing a rocket test range at Cape Canaveral 1949 Event 1st firing of a U.S. Viking rocket; reached 80 km 1949 Event WAC Corporal rocket achieves height of 400k (record) 1949 Event V-2/WAC-Corporal 1st rocket to outer space, White Sands, NM, 400 km 1948 Event U.S. rocket flies record 4800 KPH to 126k height 1946 Event U.S. V-2 rocket reaches 183 km, White Sands Proving Grounds, NM 1946 Event Army rocket plane XS-1 makes 1st powered flight 1946 Event German rocket engineers begin work in U.S.S.R. 1946 Event 1st rocket attains 100 mi (167 km) altitude, White Sands, New Mexico 1946 Event 1st U.S. launch of captured V-2 rocket, White Sands, NM; 8 km alt 1946 Event 1st U.S. rocket to leave the Earth's atmosphere (50 miles up) 1945 Event German rocket engineers begin work in U.S. 1945 Death Robert H Goddard, U.S., rocket pioneer, dies at 62 1945 Death Robert Goddard, Rocket pioneer, dies 1945 Event Maurice "Rocket" Richard becomes the 1st NHLer to score 50 goals 1944 Event Harry Crosby takes 1st rocket airplane, MX-324, for maiden flight 1944 Event 1st V-1 rocket assault on London 1943 Event RAF bombs Germany rocket base Peenemunde 1942 Event Launch of 1st A-4/V-2 rocket to altitude of 53 miles (85 km) 1942 Event 1st bazooka rocket gun produced Bridgeport, Connecticut 1942 Event 1st V-2 rocket launch, Peenemunde, Germany; reached 1.3 km 1939 Event Heinkel He-178 makes 1st manned flight with rocket/jet propulsion 1939 Event Ernst Heinkel demonstrates 800-kph rocket plane to Hitler 1939 Event Heinkel He 176 rocket plane flies for 1st time, at Peenemunde 1939 Event Test flight of 1st rocket plane using liquid propellants 1938 Event Clifford Odets' "Rocket to the Moon," premieres in New York City 1936 Birthday Henri "Rocket" Richard, NHL center, Montreal Canadiens 1936 Event 1st rocket air mail flight, Greenwood Lake, New York 1935 Event Goddard uses gyroscopes to control a rocket 1933 Event 1st Soviet liquid fuel rocket attains altitude of 261' (80m) 1933 Event Soviet Union test GIRD-R1 rocket ("Object 09") 1932 Event Wernher von Braun named head of German liquid-fuel rocket program 1931 Event 1st use of a rocket to deliver mail, Austria 1929 Event 1st manned rocket plane flight (by auto maker Fritz von Opel) 1928 Event Friedrich Schmiedl attempted rocket mail in Austria (unsuccessful) 1928 Event Fritz von Opel reaches 200 kph in experimental rocket car 1926 Event 2nd flight of a liquid-fueled rocket by Robert Goddard 1926 Event Robert Goddard launches 1st liquid fuel rocket, goes 184' (56 meters) 1921 Birthday Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Montreal Canadien, MVP-1947 1920 Birthday Robert Hutton, Kingston, New York, actor, Torture Garden, Rocket 1914 Event 1st patent for liquid-fueled rocket design granted, Dr. Robert Goddard 1912 Birthday Werner von Braun, born in Wirsitz, Germany, rocket expert, I Aim at the Stars 1906 Birthday Arthur Rudolph, rocket engineer 1892 Birthday Emory Parnell, St. Paul Minnesota, actress, Rocket Man, County Fair 1882 Birthday Robert Hutchings Goddard, Worcester Massachusetts, rocket pioneer 1870 Event J D Schneiter patents rocket mail in France, (not done) 1857 Birthday Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, pioneer in rocket and space research 1772 Birthday William Congreve, English officer, design fire rocket
