▁would ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁vac u um ▁of ▁space ; ▁non eth eless , ▁his ▁work ▁was ▁not ▁taken ▁seriously ▁by ▁the ▁public . ▁His ▁attempt ▁to ▁secure ▁an ▁Army ▁contract ▁for ▁a ▁ro cket - prop elled ▁weapon ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁World ▁War ▁was ▁defeated ▁by ▁the ▁November ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁arm ist ice ▁with ▁Germany . ▁Working ▁with ▁private ▁financial ▁support , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁launch ▁a ▁liquid - f ue led ▁ro cket ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 . ▁God d ard ' s ▁papers ▁were ▁highly ▁influ ential ▁intern ation ally ▁in ▁his ▁field . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁the ▁first ▁gu ided ▁rock ets , ▁the ▁V - 2 ▁were ▁developed ▁and ▁employed ▁as ▁weapons ▁by ▁the ▁Third ▁Reich . ▁At ▁a ▁test ▁flight ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁one ▁such ▁ro cket ▁reached ▁space ▁at ▁an ▁alt itude ▁of ▁, ▁becoming ▁the ▁first ▁object ▁in ▁human ▁history ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁V - 2 ▁ro cket ▁team ▁including ▁its ▁head ▁W ern her ▁von ▁Braun ▁surrender ed ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁were ▁exp atri ated ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁American ▁miss iles ▁at ▁what ▁became ▁the ▁Army ▁Ball istic ▁Miss ile ▁Agency . ▁This ▁work ▁on ▁miss iles ▁such ▁as ▁Jun o ▁I ▁and ▁Atlas ▁enabled ▁launch ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁US ▁satellite ▁Explorer ▁ 1 ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 ,