The Seeds of Apollo 11

STORY BY: Kim Krahn
YEAR: 1945
LOCATION: Germany

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(posted from an email by Kim Krahn) By the end of WW II, Germany was a world leader in some of the most advanced military technology on the planet. Rocketry was a brand new technology that allowed self-propelled bombs. At the end of the war, when Germany was divided and occupied, all of this advanced technology was in the Soviet sector. Before the Russians arrived, however, the Americans swooped in and scooped up all rocket technology as well as the German scientists who had developed it. On discovering this bit of espionage, the Soviets were furious. They scoured the sector and discovered a lone scientist who had been missed by the US. As a result, both countries went into production of rocket-powered missiles, the cold war was born, and the seeds of the Apollo 11 moon landing were sown. Thanks for sharing, Kim.