Author Topic: Who was the first person to survive a vertical rocket launch? (Read 22281 times)

whitelancer64 · « **on:** 04/26/2019 08:32 pm »

The first vertical rocket launch with a human on board resulted in a fatality.

Lothar Sieber, a test pilot for Nazi Germany, was launched vertically with booster rockets on an experimental interceptor aircraft, the Natter Ba 349A M23, that was effectively intended to be a short-range human-piloted surface-to-air missile. On the first and only test flight of this aricraft, on March 1, 1945, one of the rocket boosters did not separate as planned and the aircraft inverted and impacted the ground 7 km away from the launch site.

As far as I can tell, the first person to survive a vertical rocket launch was Yuri Gagarin, 16 years later.

The intervening years had several human-piloted rocket-powered aircraft (like the X-15), but these were launched either horizontally or by being dropped from airplanes. There were quite a lot of suborbital (and one orbital, with Laika) rocket flights with animals on board, but I can't find a mention of any with a human on board.

Am I missing out on any sub-orbital yet historical firsts? Does anyone know?

Rocket Science · « **Reply #1 on:** 04/26/2019 08:49 pm »

Quote from: whitelancer64 on 04/26/2019 08:32 pm

The first vertical rocket launch with a human on board resulted in a fatality.

Lothar Sieber, a test pilot for Nazi Germany, was launched vertically with booster rockets on an experimental interceptor aircraft, the Natter Ba 349A M23, that was effectively intended to be a short-range human-piloted surface-to-air missile. On the first and only test flight of this aricraft, on March 1, 1945, one of the rocket boosters did not separate as planned and the aircraft inverted and impacted the ground 7 km away from the launch site.

As far as I can tell, the first person to survive a vertical rocket launch was Yuri Gagarin, 16 years later.

The intervening years had several human-piloted rocket-powered aircraft (like the X-15), but these were launched either horizontally or by being dropped from airplanes. There were quite a lot of suborbital (and one orbital, with Laika) rocket flights with animals on board, but I can't find a mention of any with a human on board.

Am I missing out on any sub-orbital yet historical firsts? Does anyone know?

ME-163 Komet

whitelancer64 · « **Reply #2 on:** 04/26/2019 08:55 pm »

Quote from: Rocket Science on 04/26/2019 08:49 pm

ME-163 Komet
*snip*

That would fall in the horizontal-launched category.

Rocket Science · « **Reply #3 on:** 04/26/2019 08:59 pm »

Quote from: whitelancer64 on 04/26/2019 08:55 pm

Quote from: Rocket Science on 04/26/2019 08:49 pm

ME-163 Komet
*snip*

That would fall in the horizontal-launched category.

Could go vertical. But I believe you are looking along the family of piloted A4 A9-A10 most likely...

whitelancer64 · « **Reply #4 on:** 04/26/2019 09:44 pm »

Quote from: Rocket Science on 04/26/2019 08:59 pm

Quote from: whitelancer64 on 04/26/2019 08:55 pm
Quote from: Rocket Science on 04/26/2019 08:49 pm

ME-163 Komet
*snip*

That would fall in the horizontal-launched category.
Could go vertical. But I believe you are looking along the family of piloted A4 A9-A10 most likely...

Piloted A4 / A9 / A10 were design concepts only, and none were ever built.

RonM · « **Reply #5 on:** 04/26/2019 09:56 pm »

Quote from: Rocket Science on 04/26/2019 08:59 pm

Quote from: whitelancer64 on 04/26/2019 08:55 pm
Quote from: Rocket Science on 04/26/2019 08:49 pm

ME-163 Komet
*snip*

That would fall in the horizontal-launched category.
Could go vertical. But I believe you are looking along the family of piloted A4 A9-A10 most likely...

No piloted Aggregat series rockets were ever built. It's only speculation the A6 would have been manned.

Rocket Science · « **Reply #6 on:** 04/26/2019 11:04 pm »

Would be a great artifact even if they found one in mock-up form...

Wicky · « **Reply #7 on:** 04/27/2019 01:02 am »

The legendary Wan Hu

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #8 on:** 04/27/2019 04:17 am »

Quote from: Wicky on 04/27/2019 01:02 am

The legendary Wan Hu

I don't believe he survived the attempt.

Dalhousie · « **Reply #9 on:** 04/27/2019 04:38 am »

Quote from: Rocket Science on 04/26/2019 08:59 pm

Quote from: whitelancer64 on 04/26/2019 08:55 pm
Quote from: Rocket Science on 04/26/2019 08:49 pm

ME-163 Komet
*snip*

That would fall in the horizontal-launched category.
Could go vertical. But I believe you are looking along the family of piloted A4 A9-A10 most likely...

Still took off from runway

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #10 on:** 04/27/2019 04:48 am »

There were a bunch of vertical launched aircraft in the 1950s, but I believe they were all jet or propeller powered.

Michel Van · « **Reply #11 on:** 04/27/2019 08:22 pm »

The first human launch vertical with rocket was Lothar Sieber
On March 1, 1945, he was launch on board of a Bachem Ba 349 „Natter“
Sadly he not survived first launch of this rocket powered interceptor

whitelancer64 · « **Reply #12 on:** 04/29/2019 03:10 pm »

Thanks for the input, everyone. I had forgotten about Wan Hu, though he probably did not survive.

I'm just a little surprised that Yuri Gagarin was the first human being to survive a vertical rocket launch, and that one was to orbit.

JoeFromRIUSA · « **Reply #13 on:** 04/29/2019 04:16 pm »

Quote from: Michel Van on 04/27/2019 08:22 pm

The first human launch vertical with rocket was Lothar Sieber
On March 1, 1945, he was launch on board of a Bachem Ba 349 „Natter“
Sadly he not survived first launch of this rocket powered interceptor

Wir haben Liftoff

Rocket Science · « **Reply #14 on:** 04/29/2019 04:53 pm »

Quote from: Dalhousie on 04/27/2019 04:38 am

Quote from: Rocket Science on 04/26/2019 08:59 pm
Quote from: whitelancer64 on 04/26/2019 08:55 pm
Quote from: Rocket Science on 04/26/2019 08:49 pm

ME-163 Komet
*snip*

That would fall in the horizontal-launched category.
Could go vertical. But I believe you are looking along the family of piloted A4 A9-A10 most likely...

Still took off from runway

Not the proposed piloted "A series" that I mentioned...

libra · « **Reply #15 on:** 04/29/2019 06:16 pm »

The entire Natter concept bordered on craziness... Me-163 was crazy, but the Natter, an expendable Me-163 ?

edkyle99 · « **Reply #16 on:** 04/29/2019 07:02 pm »

On-line histories hint at three subsequent Natter launches with pilots. Are they correct?

- Ed Kyle

Zed_Noir · « **Reply #17 on:** 05/04/2019 08:39 am »

Quote from: libra on 04/29/2019 06:16 pm

The entire Natter concept bordered on craziness... Me-163 was crazy, but the Natter, an expendable Me-163 ?

Crazy, a bit. But considering the targets. Tight formations of large lumbering propeller driven bombers with full bomb loads at about 15000 feet. If one survive the launch phase of the Natter, you should in theory take out at least several bombers with the rocket salvo with head on approach within a minute of lift off. The USAF later copy the concept for the F-89 Scorpion jet interceptor with 104 aerial rockets in wingtip pods.

IIRC the Natter is build with non-strategic materials and does not required a trained pilot. The vehicle operator is task with aiming the interceptor to the firing point after take off and firing the 24+ aerial rockets then bail out from the vehicle.

kevin-rf · « **Reply #18 on:** 05/04/2019 12:54 pm »

Do ejection seats not count. I believe some used solid rocket motors.

kevin-rf · « **Reply #19 on:** 05/04/2019 01:03 pm »

If tethered flights count, we might have a winner

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Rocket_Belt