Goddard with his Hoopskirt rocket during a launch attempt in September 1928. The fourth time was the charm for Robert H. Goddard’s “Hoopskirt Rocket,” so named for its resemblance to the ...

The specific rocket launched on this day was the A-5, designed by Robert H. Goddard, widely regarded as the "Father of Modern Rocketry." The launch took place at a site near Roswell, New Mexico.