October 24, 1946 –
The V-2 rocket (which was a spoil of war, but that’s another story…) was launched from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, on this date. It carried a 35-millimeter motion picture camera that captured a new frame every second and a half. The rocket soared to an altitude of about 65 miles before falling back to Earth.
Both the rocket and the camera were destroyed after crashing into the Earth at a speed of about 340 miles per hour. But the film survived because it was protected inside a steel case. The film was grainy, black and white, and low resolution, providing more symbolic value than actual, but the picture was a significant start to America’s space program.
And so it goes.
The Haus of Dcaligari 