V2 rocket's historic 1946 mission: First space shot of Earth
The first photograph of our planet taken from outer space dates back to 1946, when the Americans used a captured German V2 rocket from World War II.
At the end of the Second World War, the United States acquired various German weapons technologies, including V2 rockets. These rockets were part of the American space program from 1946 to 1951. A total of 67 rockets were launched as part of this program.
The first construction that reached outer space
On October 24, 1946, the V2 rocket became the first human-made object to reach outer space, achieving an altitude of about 105 kilometres. Onboard was a 35 mm camera that captured the first images of Earth.
Although the rocket did not return to Earth in one piece and struck the planet's surface at a speed of 550 kilometres per hour, the film with valuable images survived. It is now considered the oldest preserved picture of our planet from space.
The camera was saved by a steel case
Michael Neufeld, associated with Washington's National Air and Space Museum, emphasizes that the achievement in 1946 was impressive. According to the portal Interesting Engineering, placing the camera in a steel case allowed it to survive the intense impact.
Neufeld explains that the lack of parachutes on V2 rockets meant that the American military was not sure about the success of each mission. In early V2 tests, equipment was mounted in armoured casings in the hope that it would withstand the Earth's impact at high speeds.
Let's add that the mentioned V2 rocket, developed by the Third Reich, entered service in 1944. Its length was nearly 15 metres, while the diameter slightly exceeded 1.5 metres, with a wingspan of 3.7 metres. It was powered by a single-stage liquid-fuelled engine generating a thrust of 24,700 kilograms, propelling the construction to supersonic speeds in 80 seconds. The maximum speed of the V2 reached 5,470 kilometres per hour.
