1946 V-2 Rocket Captured Earth Images From 65 Miles Up
A U.S. Army V-2 launched from White Sands Missile Range on October 24, 1946, carried a motion-picture camera that photographed Earth from about 65 miles above the planet.
FlyMarshall Newsroom1 min read
Photo: U.S. Army
A U.S. Army V-2 rocket launched from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, on October 24, 1946, carrying a 35-millimeter motion-picture camera. The camera recorded images of Earth from about 65 miles (105 kilometers) up, described in the supplied material as the first photographs of Earth taken from space.
Key details
- The rocket carried a 35-millimeter motion-picture camera.
- The camera photographed Earth from about 65 miles (105 kilometers) altitude.
- The recovered film preserved the images, according to the supplied material.
Why it matters
The photographs marked an early use of a rocket-mounted camera to observe Earth from space. The material connects this work with later Earth-observation activity, including military, agricultural, and meteorological uses.
What happens next
No further timeline was announced.
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