Release Coincides with 100th Anniversary of Dr. Robert H. Goddard’s First Liquid-Fueled Rocket Test
Today marks the 100th anniversary of Dr. Robert H. Goddard’s first liquid-fueled rocket test in a field in Auburn, Massachusetts. To commemorate the event that effectively launched the space age, AIAA released a special technical collection drawn from Aerospace Research Central (ARC), “AIAA Collection: A Century of Rocketry”. ARC is AIAA’s digital library spanning more than 200,000 papers and over 90 years of aerospace scholarship and technical excellence. The centennial works will be free to access during 2026.
“Our curated collection highlights the evolution of modern rocketry, bringing together influential works that trace propulsion development from its early foundations through today’s cutting-edge advancements. Together, the articles in the AIAA Collection: A Century of Rocketry reflect how generations of engineers and researchers have advanced the field while building upon the pioneering vision Goddard helped ignite,” said Jackie O’Connor, AIAA Publications Committee Chair.
The collection includes 100 papers and articles on rocket propulsion drawn from the archival journal literature of AIAA and its predecessor societies, the American Interplanetary Society (AIS), American Rocket Society (ARS), and the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences (IAS), including The Bulletin of the American Interplanetary Society, Astronautics, Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Journal of the American Rocket Society, Jet Propulsion, Journal of the Aerospace Sciences, AIAA Journal, Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, and Journal of Propulsion and Power.
The collection was curated by Eun Kim, Systems Director, The Aerospace Corporation, an AIAA Associate Fellow, and former Associate Editor of AIAA’s Journal of Propulsion and Power (2010–2015); Joseph M. Powers, Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Concurrent Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, an AIAA Fellow, and current Editor-in-Chief of AIAA’s Journal of Propulsion and Power (since 2016); and Vigor Yang, Regents’ Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, an AIAA Fellow, former Editor-in-Chief of AIAA’s Journal of Propulsion and Power (2001–2009), vice president for publications, and member of AIAA’s executive committee (2012–2015).
Rather than focusing on historical archives of Goddard’s own work, which are maintained by other institutions, the AIAA Collection showcases the broader technical progress inspired by Goddard’s legacy through the lens of the AIAA community and its enduring body of research. By drawing from ARC’s extensive record, the series underscores AIAA’s role in documenting and advancing modern rocketry across nearly a century of innovation.
RELATED READING: March 2026: The Goddard Centennial – Aerospace America
“We are thrilled to honor 100 years of rocketry this year. Today’s modern space launch vehicles were enabled when Dr. Goddard first launched his liquid propulsion rocket in a snowy field in Auburn, Massachusetts, on March 16, 1926. Goddard’s breakthrough is as significant to space exploration as the Wright Brothers’ first flight is to the aviation industry,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.
“The centennial collection reflects enduring contributions to rocket science and engineering that have inspired generations of researchers and engineers. We hope it encourages future innovators to follow in the pioneering footsteps of Goddard,” he added.
Goddard is an important part of the Institute’s history. He served as a director of the American Rocket Society, one of the predecessor organizations to AIAA. The Institute placed an obelisk at the location of Goddard’s first flight in 1960, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and an AIAA Historic Site in 2000.
Events Planned All Week
AIAA is supporting a weeklong series of commemorative events that kick off today, designed to inspire a new generation of students to embrace STEM.
- The public can participate in the celebration by launching a one-fifth-scale model version of Goddard’s original rocket from Estes Rockets.
- One hundred of the Estes rockets are planned to be sent aloft from Goddard’s original launch site, weather permitting. The launch area is now the 9th hole of the municipal Pakachoag Golf Course, Auburn, Massachusetts. Other launches are set across the country by aerospace companies and participating organizations.
- AIAA President Dan Hastings will make remarks before the lecture, “Launching the Next 100 Years: Industry, Innovation & the Future of Space” on Wednesday, 18 March, 5:30 p.m., at Worchester Polytechnic Institute, Rubin Campus Center.
- AIAA President Dan Hastings will participate in the multimedia event, “Goddard: Father of the Space Age,” on Sunday, 22 March, 4:30 p.m., at Worcester’s Hanover Theater, featuring Makenzie Lystrup, former Director of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; planetary scientist Alan Stern; Massachusetts astronaut Al Sacco Jr.; and, Maynard Okereke, host of The Hip Hop Science Show.
RELATED READING: Countdown to Goddard Centennial with New Model Rocket for Launches – Aerospace America
The Goddard Centennial events are supported by industry leaders and organizations including: AIAA, Aerospace Industries Association, Blue Origin, Blue Origin’s Club for the Future, Clark University, MIT, National Association of Rocketry, National Space Society, Space Foundation, Spaceport America, The Aerospace Corporation, The Space Consortium, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Virgin Galactic, Winn Properties, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
