Walter Dornberger German engineer administrator Date of Birth: 06.09.1895 Country: Germany

1. Early Life and Military Service
2. Education and Career in Rocketry
3. Peenemünde and the V-2 Rocket
4. Post-World War II Career
5. Later Years and Death

Early Life and Military Service

Walter Dornberger, a German engineer and administrator, was born in Giebichenstein, Germany, on September 6, 1895. After graduating from high school, he was conscripted into the German Army and served in heavy artillery during World War I. In 1918, he was taken prisoner of war.

Education and Career in Rocketry

In 1930, Dornberger graduated from the Schlottenburg Technical University in Berlin. Under the patronage of Professor Becker, he was assigned to the Ballistics Department of the Reichswehr's Armaments Office. As a Captain, he became the de facto scientific director for the Reichswehr's rocketry research.

Dornberger played a significant role in organizing and developing Germany's rocket program. He established the first experimental station for liquid-fuel rockets in Kummersdorf, near Berlin. He also supervised the development of solid-fuel rockets.

Peenemünde and the V-2 Rocket

In 1937, Dornberger became the director of the rocket research center in Peenemünde. Under his leadership and the technical guidance of Wernher von Braun, the V-2 rocket, the first ballistic missile capable of reaching the edge of space, was developed.

Post-World War II Career

After World War II, Dornberger worked as a consultant to the US Department of Defense. In 1948, he proposed placing an atomic bomb in orbit. He also contributed to the development of anti-missile defense systems and reusable rocket systems (space shuttles).

Later Years and Death

Dornberger retired from public life in 1965 and moved to Switzerland. He died in Bad Kissingen, Germany, on June 27, 1980, at the age of 84.