Robert Goddard

Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926, held 214 patents, and was ridiculed by the NYT — which retracted its criticism hours before Apollo 11 landed.

How the liquid-fuel rocket was invented — from Tsiolkovsky's 1903 equation to Goddard's 1926 launch, the V-2, Apollo, and SpaceX's reusable boosters.