Page 4 - Demo

Rocket Mail of the WorldSome of the Society%u2019s members had no qualms about designing rockets for the military, including Herman Oberth and Werner von Braun, and they went on to work for the German Army%u2019s infamous rocket development program at Peenemunde. This led to the creation of the devastating V-2 rocket that bombarded Great Britain during World War II. It was powered by burning a fuel containing liquid oxygen and alcohol, and was a formidable weapon that could destroy entire city blocks.Of Oberth, Werner von Braun said, %u201c(he) was the first who, when thinking about the possibility of spaceships, grabbed a slide-rule and presented mathematically analyzed concepts and designs....I myself, owe to him not only the guidingstar of my life, but also my first contact with the theoretical and practical aspects of rocketry and space travel.%u201dGenesis of Rocket MailWhen the city of Paris was under siege in 1870-1871, and completely isolated by Otto von Bismarck%u2019s troops, French balloonists were able to float out of their isolated city and carry mail to the outside world. As an alternative way of delivering mail above the enemy%u2019s lines, J.D. Schneiter applied for a French patent on December 31, 1870 to build a rocket for postal delivery. Schneiter%u2019s primary idea (as stated in his patent), was to drop leaflets on enemy troops with messages that would %u201cenlighten the soldiers,%u201d and discourage them from continued fighting. The patent (number 91,160) was eventually awarded on Feb. 9, 1871, about 12 days after the Siege of Paris ended. While Schneiter appears to be the first person to conceive the idea of Rocket Mail, there is no record of his plan ever coming to fruition. In fact, it would take until 1902 before real mail would be delivered by rocket%u2014in the southern Pacific Ocean.Rocket Mail at Niuafo%u2019ouNiuafo%u2019ou is one of 170 islands in the Tonga group. Because of its perilous volcanic coast and heavy surf, it can be impossible for supply ships to approach the shore. As a result, in 1882, William Travers, a resourceful plantation manager, started a %u201ctin-can mail service.%u201d Whenever a passing ship had s to deliver, they would be sealed in a biscuit tin or kerosene can and cast into the water where the surf would carry the can near enough to shore to be recovered by swimmers.It was in 1902, that the captain of a ship with letters to be delivered decided to send the mail to the island with a flare rocket. While the first try was successful, on later attempts the rocket often overshot the island, landed in the crater lake, or got lost in the undergrowth. On one occasion, the package of letters burst into flames en route. The arrival of the rocket was quite an event on Niuafo%u2019ou . So much so that it caused the entire population to stop what they were doing and watch, but Hermann Oberth with a liquid-fueled rocket in the 1930s Berlin.1966 Paraguayan postage stamp honoring Hermann Oberth.