Hermann Julius Oberth - Fire Science Scientist

The space exploration was based on the theory of four scientists who, at the same time, did not collaborate, studied and complemented the rocket technology. The four pioneers were Konstantin Tsiolkovsky of Russia, American Robert Goddard, Hermann Oberth of Germany and Austrian-Hungarian Von Karman.

Hermann Oberth (1894-1989) left, Russia: Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and the United States: Robert Goddard
discuss elliptical orbits in the picture not for this date (Photo: NASA)

Hermann Julius Oberth was born on June 25, 1894 in Hermannstadt, in Transylvania. This land originally belonged to the Austro-Hungarian empire but after the First World War, became part of Romania and today belongs to eastern Germany. On the map, Hermannstadt is known by the name Sibiu, a Austrian-Hungarian noun, although the people of this region are of German origin, speak German and follow the customs of the Japanese Man.

Hermann J. Oberth is the son of Dr. Julius Gotthold Oberth, the director of a hospital near Schassburg . From an early age, Hermann dreamed of becoming a talented engineer or a scientist and tried to fulfill this dream.

While studying at Bischof-Teutsch High School in Schassburg, Hermann had the opportunity to read the books of Jules Vernes and HG Wells. The scientific ideas in the story fascinated Hermann and, therefore, was discouraged by the medical profession that the father had prepared.

In 1912, Hermann graduated from high school and won a math prize for her outstanding work . Despite his mathematical skills, Hermann still had to obey his father's wishes and studied medicine at the University of Munich. However, during this time, Hermann found that subjects such as astronomy, physics, and mathematics were more interesting than writing about body learning.

In the 20-year-old Hermann Oberth, the First World War broke out. He was drafted into the Austro-Hungarian army, slightly injured and then transferred to a military unit. From this time, Oberth wrote many theories about how to travel in space and, therefore, discovered that he would never become a physician.

When the World War ends, Oberth returns to high school

(Photo: faculty.rmwc.edu)

Well, not to pursue medicine but to focus on astronomy, physics and mathematics. He married Malthilde Hummel. In the next two years since 1920, Oberth attended the universities of Göttingen, Heidelberg and Munich and then passed an entrance exam in 1923 to become professor of physics and mathematics. Oberth was appointed to the old school: Bischof-Teutsch high school in Schassburg. In 1924, Oberth changed to teaching at high school Stefan Ludwig-Roth at Mediasch. This place and Schassburg at that time belonged to Romania.

In the mid-1920s, Oberth finished writing a doctoral thesis called 'Using Rocket to Interplanetary Space ' (By Rocket to Interplanetary Space). While this thesis is being printed, Oberth learned that American scientist Robert Goddard disseminated the 'One Method to Reaching Extremes Altitudes' study. Oberth contacted Goddard to ask for a document and promised to send his book when it was finished. When he received the materials, he was surprised that the American pioneer also investigated the problem of space exploration.

Oberth's book is more than a hundred pages thick, containing a pre-era theory, along with mathematical equations that allow technicians to build missiles beyond the atmosphere, carrying them again. astronaut staff. Oberth also described in a book a spaceship and the ways in which astronauts must live and work while exploring the universe. In this theory, Oberth refers to many aspects: astronomy, mathematics, physics and chemistry. In the previous era, scientists often specialized in only one side: mathematical research team, astronomer learn the sky and the stars ., each person only knows his field. For this reason, Oberth's theory did not make other scientists fully understand. However, his book is still selling and the author has to print more books to provide.

Although Oberth's book about space exploration was difficult to understand for that period, the book also made a group of rocket enthusiasts in Germany meet and establish the Space Travel Association ( Verein fur Raumschiffahrt). Its headquarters are located in Breslau (Polish name is Wroclaw). The association sent Oberth invitation to join and he worked with the Association for many years.

In 1928, the famous film producer Fritz Lang planned to make a film called 'The Woman on the Moon' (Die Fau im Mond). In order for his film to be based on science, Fritz Lang invited Oberth as a technical advisor. Meanwhile, Lang was also interested in missiles, in addition to some of Oberth's demands and the idea of ​​advertising the film made Fritz Lang and the film company pay Oberth money to build a fire. The missiles and missiles will be launched on the day the movie begins.

When he started making rockets, Oberth was confused .

The Oberth rocket built despite failures has contributed greatly to rocket technology due to liquid fuel studies (Photo: starships.com).

In the past, he only planned scientific facts on paper without having any practical experience. He was not an engineer or a mechanic. Many other issues like metal and fuel use are all new techniques. Oberth had to hire two assistants but they only had a little experience. In a liquid fuel experiment, Oberth encountered an accident, a container that exploded before the term caused an eye to fail.

On the day of the opening of the film 'The Woman on the Moon', the rocket launch failed completely . Out of frustration, Oberth returned to Transylvania to teach, after many years as president of the Space Travel Association. Anyway, he has contributed a lot to rocket technology due to studies on liquid fuels. In 1929, Hermann Oberth was awarded the international prize by Robert the French Astronomical Society Robert Esnault-Pelteri-André Hirsch, worth 10,000, due to the book " Ways to Spaceflight = Wege zur Raumschiffahrt". This book has been ahead of the 30-year rocket era. In 1931, Oberth also received a patent for liquid fuel missiles from Romania's Invention Office, and in July 1931, the first rocket was launched in the suburbs of the city. Berlin city.

Through 1938, German Air Force invited Oberth to join the faculty of Vienna's technical university. At this time, Germany was associated with Austria and the Nazi party sought to bring missiles to German territory, because they feared that hostile nations would use these talented people. Oberth was transferred to Dresde and invited to serve the German army. He was selected between German citizenship and concentration camps. Oberth had to submit to the powerful ruler and he became a German citizen in 1940 and was transferred to Peenemunde to work with Von Braun in the V-2 flying bomb program. In 1943, Oberth was dispatched to another location, taking care of the production of anti-aircraft missiles.

After World War II, Oberth continued to teach and quietly studied . He moved to Italy to work for the Italian Navy in the program of making missiles using solid materials. At this time, his book " Men in Space", published in 1945, reminded Von Braun of Huntsville, Alabama, of the United States of the past. Von Braun was in control of the missile manufacturing factory Redstone for the US Army. Von Braun invited Oberth to Huntsville to oversee the Army's research programs since 1955. In 1958, Oberth retired, he returned to Germany, living in Feucht province, near Nurnbert.

Hermann J. Oberth has lived a peaceful life in teaching and his research on rockets has made the mysteries of the universe discovered and today, the science still considers him a in the four pillars of Space Studies.

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Wernher Von Braun makes missiles.