ABSTRACT
Towards the close of World War II the German rocket scientist Wernher Von Braun brought his team of engineers together in secret to discuss what they would do after the war. The Nazis had forced them to work on developing rockets such as the V2 in the hope that they would be a last-minute weapon to defeat the allies. Von Braun dreamed of using their technology to explore space. Von Braun and his colleagues were posted to Fort Bliss in Texas to tinker with captured V2s and teach rocketry to interested members of the Army. Thrust is the term used for the force produced by a rocket motor. A key factor in producing the highest possible thrust is the choice of propellant. Like the nuclear engines, an ion drive would be useless for lifting objects off the ground. Ion drive is a valid and developing technology capable of significant performance in the right applications.
