On this night in science
The first Saturn rocket
October 27, 1961
On this day in 1961, NASA launched the first Saturn rocket from Florida, just to see how it flew. Instead of a spacecraft, its top was filled with water to make it the right weight, and the test went smoothly.
Why it mattered
It proved that a big rocket built from a cluster of engines could fly. Its bigger cousin, the Saturn V, later carried astronauts to the Moon.
Wonder together
Why do you think the engineers filled the top of their rocket with water for its very first flight?