September 30, 1929

Sept. 30, 1929
At Frankfurt, Germany, Fritz von Opel travels just over a mile in the world’s first flight of a rocket-powered airplane. The Rak-1 tops 85 mph but crashes.

Related Content

KC-46’s Refueling Boom Damaged While Refueling F-22s

July 8, 2025
A U.S. Air Force KC-46 tanker suffered damage to its boom while refueling F-22 Raptors off the coast of Virginia on July 8, Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed, with reported radio communication from the crew indicating the boom “detached.”

Air Force Budget Hints at Shift in Tanker Plans—and More KC-46s

July 8, 2025
The Air Force appears to be leaning buying toward more KC-46 refuelers rather than developing a stealthy future tanker, based on budget documents released this week. USAF’s plans prioritize connectivity upgrades and self-protection measures for its aerial refueling fleet.  No...

Air Force, Space Force Kick Off Major Pacific Exercises

July 8, 2025
The Air Force and Space Force kicked off a busy summer of major exercises across the Pacific on July 8, with thousands of Airmen and Guardians and hundreds of aircraft and satellites set to participate in a so-called Department-Level Exercise series. 

16 Retired 4-Stars Urge Congress to Fund E-7 and More F-35s

July 7, 2025
Six former Air Force Chiefs of Staff and seven other retired 4-star generals joined Air & Space Forces Association leadership in calling on Congress to triple the number of F-35A fighters the Air Force buys in fiscal 2026 and to reinstate funding for the E-7 Wedgetail battle management platform that…

Air Force Fighters Control Semi-Autonomous Drones in ‘Crucial’ Test

July 7, 2025
The U.S. Air Force recently took a significant step in its push to integrate crewed fighters with semi-autonomous drones, the service says. Pilots of an Air Force F-16C and an F-15E each controlled two XQ-58A Valkyrie drones in an “air combat training scenario,” the Air Force Research Laboratory said in a…

Space Force Cancels Major Tactical SATCOM Competition

July 7, 2025
The Space Force is canceling a competition to build new satellites for jam-resistant tactical communications, instead choosing to focus on operationalizing two prototypes it plans to launch next year.