On June 14, 1914, the first patent for a liquid-fueled rocket design was granted to Dr. Robert Goddard, an American scientist and rocket pioneer. [‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com]
In the patent, Goddard described a rocket fueled with liquid propellants (liquid nitrous oxide and gasoline) or with a solid fuel (explosive material). In this same year, he was also granted a patent for a multi-stage rocket fueled with solid "explosive material." He would go on to launch the world's first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926. Goddard's work in the field was revolutionary and his achievements helped make spaceflight possible. He has even been called the "Usherer of the Space Age." NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is named in his honor.
