THIS DAY IN AIRPOWER HISTORY: In 1914, U.S. government issues patent for multistage rocket design to Dr. Goddard.

July 7, 1914: Robert H. Goddard was granted his very first patent, for a “rocket apparatus.” Patent 1,102,653 describes his concept for the multi-stage rocket. In the patent application Goddard did not mention human spaceflight. The patent reads, “This invention relates to a rocket apparatus and particularly to a form of such apparatus adapted to transport photographic or other recording instruments to extreme heights.” However, the concept of multi-stage rockets was crucial to launch vehicle development and has been the way that humans have reached space since 1961.

During his lifetime, Goddard had 48 patents issued to him. He was awarded 35 others, for which he had applied, posthumously. His wife, Esther, applied for 131 additional patents in his name, based on notes, sketches, and photographs, bringing the total number of Goddard patents up to 214. Some of the patents include the gimballed nozzle, gyroscopic control, the liquid-fueled rocket engine, parachute recovery, and the cryogenic bearing. All of these inventions were used by space agencies in some capacity. And although Dr. Goddard did not live to see human spaceflight (he died in 1945), his inventions and experiments paved the way for space exploration.