Goddard, Robert Hutchings - Worcester, MA

Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard

Worcester, MA

N 42° 14.238 W 071° 49.666

The grave of the inventor Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard, who created and launched the world's first liquid-fueled rocket, is located in a family plot in Hope Cemetery, Worcester, MA. Hisgrave is  marked by a large three-tiered, rectangular, granite, family headstone with the family name GODDARD inscribed in raised letters on the second tier. The dado on the top tier is inscribed:

NAHUM P. GODDARD

1829 - 1891

NAHUM D. GODDARD

1859 - 1828

ROBERT H. GODDARD

1882 - 1945

A small granite headstone marks his individual grave. It is inscribed:

ROBERT H.

GODDARD

On March 16, 1926 Dr. Robert H. Goddard, a professor of physics at Clark University, launched the first liquid-fueled rocket from his Aunt's farm in Auburn, MA. He followed his first flight with 35 more successful launches and was able to reach a maximum altitude of over 2500 meters. These seminal events led to the development of the current space age.

The military took little interest in his work until after the Germans launched their V2 rocket during World War II. After the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite in 1957, the United States finally entered the space race, using liquid propelled rockets, that enabled the United States to the first land of men on the Moon, and bring them back safely, in 1969.

The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD is named in his honor.

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