On this day in space! Sept. 6, 1947: The US Navy launches 1st V-2 rocket at sea in ballistic missile test
On September 6, 1947, the U.S. Navy conducted the first sea-based launch of a V-2 ballistic missile from the USS Midway. While the test was unsuccessful, it demonstrated the potential for ships to serve as mobile launch platforms.
Why it matters
This event marked a critical intersection of post-WWII military technology and the origins of modern aerospace and missile defense systems.
The test, while unsucessful, did show that Navy ships could be floating launch pads for a new kind of weapon: the ballistic missile.
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Click for next article Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter On Sept. 6, 1947, a rocket launched from an aircraft carrier for the first time. The V-2 rocket was captured from a German manufacturing site by the Allied forces at the end of World War II.
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