WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - A rocket launch in Massachusetts 99 years ago paved the way for space travel, and Sunday marked the anniversary.
Now, researchers are working to make sure the legacy of the local man behind the historic project lives on.
“Every kid knows who Thomas Edison is, who Graham Bell is, so I really want each kid to learn who Goddard was,” said Charles Slatkin, founder of The Wonder Mission.
Esteemed scientist Robert H. Goddard, a Worcester native, ignited a liquid-based rocket from what is now a golf course in Auburn on March 16, 1926.
It was a 2.5-second flight, which set the stage for space travel decades later.
“It really ushered in the space age, and from there, things exponentially grew faster and faster,” Slatkin said.
March 16 officially became known as Goddard Day, recognizing the storied career of an engineer known as the “father of modern rocketry.”
Goddard’s trailblazing research in interstellar travel opened the doors for space exploration and is still being used by scientists today.
“He’s such a wonderful boyhood hero when you think about it,” Slatkin said. “He read science fiction, he had this great vision at an early age.”
The Wonder Mission is hoping to follow in Goddard’s footsteps and inspire younger generations to shoot for the stars.
“I think using the Goddard story and having kids realize how much of a sci-fi visionary this guy was, will be a great way to pique their interest in science and space exploration,” Slatkin said.
Goddard’s contributions paving the way for innovation and dreaming big alike, once saying “the dream of yesterday is the hope of today, and reality of tomorrow.”
“If that doesn’t give you hope that anything’s possible, nothing does,” Slatkin said of the quote.
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