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Von Braun's Transformation
- Wernher von Braun was a Nazi rocket scientist who developed the V2 rocket during WWII.
- After arriving in the US, he envisioned space travel and became key to the American space program.
Dual Rocket Pioneers
- Both von Braun in the US and Sergei Korolev in the USSR had spaceflight ambitions despite working on missiles.
- Early Cold War secrecy meant Korolev developed Soviet rockets independently from Germany's tech.
Soviets' Strategic Advantage
- The Soviet Union led early in the space race with suborbital flights including dogs by 1951.
- They prioritized launch vehicles capable of carrying heavy hydrogen bombs, which also enabled larger rockets for space.