Goddard Rocket Launching Site

Goddard Rocket Launching Site
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Robert H. Goddard's first rocket at the launch site
Nearest city	Auburn, Massachusetts
Coordinates
Built	1926
NRHP Reference #	66000654
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	November 13, 1966
Designated NHL	November 13, 1966

The Goddard Rocket Launching Site is a National Historic Landmark commemorating the launch site of the world's first successful liquid-fueled rocket. It is located at 20 Upland Street, Auburn, Massachusetts, within the Pakachoag Golf Course. The launch site is indicated with two markers accessible to visitors while the golf course is open. It is at the "9th Fairway, between Tee and Green," of the Pakachoag Golf Course.

File:Monument for Robert H. Goddard's First Rocket Launch 16 Mar 1969.JPG

Monument reads: Site of launching of world's first liquid propellant rocket by Dr. Robert H. Goddard 16 March 1926 - located on the Pakachoag Golf Course in Auburn, MA

There are two monuments at this site. The launch site monument is just off the street to the right of the club house. The landing site is on the ninth hole near the pond. The monument may be difficult to get to due to the nature of golf. The best advice for visiting the landing monument is to walk the rock wall between 1st and 9th fairways.

Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched his historic rocket on March 16, 1926, from what was then the Asa Ward Farm. The 10-foot (3.0 m) rocket reached an altitude of 41 feet (12 m), flew for two-and-a-half seconds, and fell to the ground 184 feet (56 m) from the launching frame.

Goddard's final launch from Auburn, on July 17, 1929, was also a historic first. The 11-foot (3.4 m) rocket carried an aneroid barometer, thermometer, and a camera triggered when the parachute opened. All three instruments operated successfully and were recovered. The rocket achieved a maximum altitude of 90 feet (27 m) in an 18.5-second flight covering a distance of 171 feet (52 m).

The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966.

See also

• List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester County, Massachusetts

External links

• Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary