“The dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.” – Robert H. Goddard
While Dr. Robert H. Goddard was advancing rocketry through private experiments, another group of American enthusiasts independently pursued space exploration. Formed in the early 1930s, the American Rocket Society (ARS) emerged as an organization that not only envisioned the potential of rockets, but also built and tested them, laying groundwork for America’s future in space.
The ARS story began with the founding of the American Interplanetary Society (AIS) in 1930. Established in New York City by science fiction enthusiasts and amateur scientists David Lasser, G. Edward Pendray, and H. Winfield Secor, AIS aimed to promote interplanetary travel and advance rocketry as the flight-vehicle to achieve it. Initially, the society dedicated itself to educating the public about the possibilities of space travel, publishing materials that both informed and inspired. Also, AIS members engaged in experimental rocketry, designing and testing rockets to validate theoretical concepts while creating a network of like-minded individuals passionate about space exploration. In 1934, AIS became the American Rocket Society.
On May 14, 1933, the ARS launched its first liquid-fueled rocket from Marine Park in Staten Island, New York. This rocket, powered by liquid oxygen and gasoline, reached an altitude of 250 feet, marking one of the earliest successful liquid-propelled rocket launches in the United States. ARS experiments contributed to significant advancements in rocket technology, particularly in liquid propulsion systems, structural design for stability, and instrumentation for measuring flight performance.
Throughout the 1930s, the ARS was a hub for rocket research and development in the United States. Operating without government funding, the society relied on resources of its members, who conducted numerous tests and shared findings openly. The ARS evolved into a group of visionaries; its regular meetings and publications fostered collaboration on projects, facilitated the exchange of experimental results, and offered lectures that created public interest in rocketry.
With the onset of World War II, the United States redirected focus toward military technology. ARS members’ expertise became highly valued, leading many to join government and private projects. As a result, the society’s experimental activities were gradually absorbed into larger national initiatives. After the war, ARS shifted its focus back to peaceful applications of rocketry and space exploration. It resumed publication of the prestigious ARS Journal, which became a leading publication for aerospace engineering. This journal played a role in establishing industry standards in rocket design and testing.
In 1963, recognizing the need for a unified professional body to represent the aerospace industry, the American Rocket Society merged with the Institute of the Aerospace Sciences to form the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
References
- Lasser, D. (1931). The Conquest of Space. Penguin Press.
- Springer, A. (2001). The development of an aerospace society – The AIAA at 70. In 39th Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit (p. 177).