On This Day in Space! July 24, 1950: First rocket launch From Cape Canaveral, Florida

On July 24, 1950, the very first rocket to ever launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida blasted off into space. The Bumper 2 was an experimental, two-stage rocket that could fly as high as 250 miles (400 kilometers) above the Earth.

The rocket consisted of a V-2 missile base topped with a WAC Corporal sounding rocket, and it launched under the direction of the General Electric Company. The mission’s purpose was to test new rocket technologies and collect data about Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Bumper 8 lifts off on July 24, 1950 from the Long Range Proving Grounds in Cape Canaveral, Florida. <a href=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/60-years-florida-rocket-launches-100723.html>Full Story</a>.

History of NASA: $22.99 at Magazines Direct

Discover the story of how and why NASA was created, its greatest triumphs, darkest days, and of the times it exceeded all possible hopes. A tale of adventure, heroism and resourcefulness, learn of the space agency’s greatest achievements and how — over six decades — the organization has consistently and tirelessly devoted itself to its founding principle: that “activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all humankind”.