During that age, von Braun was fascinated by the story of Wan Hoo: a Chinese foresaw who tried in the 16th century to use rocketry to go to the moon by building a giant kite strapped to 47 solid propellant rockets.
In his attempt to emulate Hoo, von Braun started his first rocketry experiment by using an unmanned coaster wagon strapped to half a dozen of the biggest skyrockets He could find.
The result was dramatic. The 12 y.o. Braun caused a major disruption in a crowded street and was later arrested.
Illustration courtesy of Marshall Space Flight Center
portraying Wan Hu
3 notes for myself
We need inspirational stories – They work like magic in motivating people. Moreover, these stories contain useful knowledge (e.g. von Braun opted for an unmanned vehicle)
Fail fast, fail cheap – Life is not meant to fill ppt or business plan. If you have an idea try to realize it. Only after roughly realized you can evaluate certain pros and cons
An evergreen lesson: never give up. Von Braun was arrested at the age of 12 for causing major disruption. We can only imagine what should have been his father’s reaction!
Bonus Point: do you recognize the other man in the first picture?