V-2 rocket Vergeltungswaffe 2 A-4 Aggregate-4

U.S. Army V-2 cutaway drawing showing engine, fuel cells, guidance units and warhead. (U.S. Air Force photo)

On October 3, 1942, German scientist Wernher von Braun's V-2 rocket, was fired successfully from Peenemunde, as island off Germany's Baltic coast. It traveled 118 miles forwarded by 38.000 hp, the rocket reached a maximum speed of appr. 5500 km/h.

The rocket was the world's first long-range ballistic missile and first known human artifact to achieve sub-orbital spaceflight.

Over 3,000 V-2s were launched as military rockets by the German Wehrmacht against Allied targets during the war, mostly London and later Antwerp, resulting in the death of an estimated 7,250 military personnel and civilians.

www.nationalmuseum.af.mil is provided as a public service by the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Public Affairs.

Information presented on www.nationalmuseum.af.mil is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credits is requested.

This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made during the course of the person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.

Generally speaking, works created by U.S. Government employees are not eligible for copyright protection in the United States. See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" PDF from the U.S. Copyright Office.