A2 (rocket)

The A2 was the second rocket design in the Aggregate series, part of the German Army research program that lead to the A4 (V-2 rocket) used in World War II. Under the program at Kummersdorf headed by Walter Dornberger, the A2 was designed in 1934 by Wernher von Braun.

At a length of 1.6 meters and thrust of 3 kilonewtons from alcohol and liquid oxygen, it was in outline similar to the A1 rocket. However, In contrast to the A1, the A2 had the stabilization gyroscopes in the center of the rocket between the alcohol and oxygen tanks, which made it more stable. The rocket weighed 72 kg empty, with takeoff weight of 107 kg. Initial flight testing was done in September 1934 at Kummersdorf.

Two A2s were built for a full out test, and were given the names Max and Moritz. On December 19 and December 20, 1934 they were flown in front of the Army brass at an island in the North Sea named Borkum. They reached altitudes of 2.2 km and 3.5 km.

External links

• The A2 at Encyclopedia Astronautica
• Development of the V-2 Rocket at the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum
• The A4 Rocket (in German)
• http://www.aggregat-2.de/neubau.html - a site about the A2 (in German)