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The Third Reich could destroy its opponents from the orbit of the Earth ?! But specifically you touched a space weapon in passing, and yet it such an interesting topic! Could you talk about German superweapons in more detail? I.A. Gmyrin, Mezen, Arkhangelsk region (from a letter to the editor) meets Andrei Leshukonsky. Welded Alive Early Morning June 6, 1944. Allies began the landing of troops in Normandy. Soldiers jump from landing craft into the sea and, holding weapons above their heads, wander towards the shore. But what is it? A loud hum, a flash – and the cool water suddenly turns into boiling water in which thousands of people are boiled alive! Paratroopers managed to get to the shore, but did not receive reinforcements, thrown by the Nazis into the raging sea. Allied Landing in Normandy failed, the second front was never opened … It was along this path history could go, bring the Nazis to life a giant project space gun. Idealist inventor
The future star of the theory of rocket science German Obert was born in 1894 in present-day Romania, which was then part of Austria-Hungary. Ten years later, the boy read Jules Verne’s novel “From the gun to the moon” and became, as they would say now, a fan astronautics. In the gymnasium, Herman was considered an eccentric – all of him Hobbies and actions were connected with space. For example, a young man carried away by diving from a great height – so he wanted to check how does the acceleration of free fall affect the human body and sharp braking. At recess in the gymnasium, he could eat an apple standing on my head: I wanted to be sure that the food was held by person in the stomach, even when he is turned upside down. At 16 years German (not familiar with the works of Tsiolkovsky) constructed his first rocket and independently came to the conclusion that solid fuel (in particular, gunpowder) is not suitable for putting it into orbit. In 1914 year, the young man came to the Eastern Front, where he was wounded, and he served as a nurse in a hospital. Here German designed another rocket, and the head doctor of the hospital even informed about it military ministries of Austria-Hungary and its ally Germany. Too the high cost of the project did not allow to realize it. However, a talented young man was noticed. After World War I, he studied medicine and physics, and after graduating from university, he wrote a doctoral thesis on interplanetary flights. At 29, German became professor and until 1938 taught physics and mathematics in various educational institutions.
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All this time Herr Obert continued to engage in rocket science. He got acquainted with the works of Tsiolkovsky, invented all new models rockets and fuels. And first of all, German worked on the development of a space station that could be brought to 200 km orbit and use to observe the Earth. IN Herman wrote in his bold labors that giant mirror, which, like a magnifying glass, able to focus the sun’s rays at one point. So, hoping scientist, people can change the Earth’s climate, melt the eternal ice and manage the weather. However, the design of the first space station (KS-1) was too expensive and time consuming. Only at the end of 1944, when the leaders of the Third Reich began to clutch at any idea weapons of retaliation, they drew attention to the development of Oberth. Of course, at that moment the Nazis were not interested in life in space (namely, the scientist hoped for it), but only the opportunity to use station as a weapon. In particular, fascist bonzes believed a huge “magnifier” put into a low orbit will be capable of “boil” ponds, as well as completely burn out the accumulation of troops the enemy and even entire cities! Later American researchers felt: start Germany the implementation of the space gun project on six years earlier (in 1938-1939), a terrible “weapon of retaliation” It would be ready by mid-1944. And, according to the same experts, The Third Reich would need another five years, so that not only win a decisive victory in Europe, but also conquer the whole world. The reverse side of the force. Probably know Hermann Obert, as in try to use his idea in the future, he would tear everything in horror drawings of KS-1. Romanian scientist always believed that space should serve only for peaceful affairs. His space station is grand project: many rockets launched into high orbit and mounted integrally with steel cables. Station should was spinning around its axis, thereby creating an artificial gravity (Obert sincerely believed that weightlessness is detrimental to astronauts). On special load-bearing structures would be placed telescopes oriented both towards the Earth and to the deep space.
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In the utility rooms it was planned to create agricultural farms, plants in them would serve as a source and food, and oxygen. Powerful relay stations would provide uninterrupted radio communications in at least half of the globe. So Thus, KS-1 would perform four functions: reconnaissance, geophysical, relay and global satellite systems navigation. Not a word about military purposes. The Nazis, on the contrary, interested in the “reverse side of the force.” Their station (Sonnengewehr Raumstation) actually turned into a giant cannon that had the only task is to destroy objects on the surface of the Earth. But and its creation was much more real than KS-1. After all Oberta’s brainchild exceeded three billion marks, and Nazi space gun – no more than 15 million. What was the Third Reich station? Its main part is giant (about 1.5 kilometers in diameter) mirror, which should was to focus the sun’s rays at one point, creating a temperature a few hundred degrees Celsius – enough to even the stones melted. According to scientists of the Reich, “boil” even large-scale sections of the surface of the ocean. IN the only cabin that served as the control room at the same time cannon, could live up to five specialists. From the extensive greenhouses as a source of food and oxygen, scientists, however, did not refuse. Unlike KS-1, the Third Reich station is not assumed the presence of artificial gravity, and therefore its the inhabitants had to move in special boots with magnetic sole. They were stopped on time. Despite everything. the hardships of the war, the Nazis actively took up the implementation of the project. Withdraw the goods necessary for the construction of the space gun, on the orbit was decided using another “weapon of retaliation” – missiles “V-2.” But precisely at the beginning of 1945, as many believe specialists (others consider this to be just a legend), Nazis launched into orbit several rockets with … astronauts on board. “Pioneers of fascist astronautics” were doomed to death. A their followers should have already mounted Sonnengewehr Raumstation in orbit. Fortunately, it didn’t come to this: before the fall The Third Reich was a matter of months. One more proof the fact that the Nazis were actively working on the project is powerful buildup of metallic sodium (namely from it it was planned to make a mirror surface). Why the Third Reich At the end of the war, thousands of tons of this element were needed? While on It is practically unsuitable for use on Earth, since beyond the oxidation reaction darkens very quickly. But in a vacuum, where no oxygen, metallic sodium (and this is confirmed by modern astronautics) is an extremely useful element. Now after so many years, one can only rejoice that the leaders of the Third Reich took up the development of “weapons of retaliation” too late – before that Hitler and his minions relied solely on a war machine Wehrmacht, capable of, in their opinion, grinding the army of any the enemy. And even when the very idea of a fundamentally new weapon occurred to them, they chose the wrong path. After all, as shown further events, the Fau and Fau-2 missiles turned out to be extremely expensive and ineffective. Instead of one rocket, you could build 2-3 aircraft. At the same time, 2000 Fau missiles fired across the territory enemy, killed “only” 2700 people. Extremely low value for money! But it is likely take Nazi bonuses for developing space weapons instead practically useless rockets, the whole world history would go on another way. … German Obert died in 1989. Until death Romanian scientist believed that the future of our planet is for giant space stations to help pacify a riot of elements will save millions of lives and change the climate on the planet. But at the same time, the scientist was ironic, calling himself that “the forerunner of the star death, “the” inventor of absolute weapons. “The threat of space war scared him the most. Secrets of the twentieth century War Water Germany Gravity Life Mirrors Climate Rocket Plants
