OTD in Space – July 24: First Launch From Cape Canaveral

On July 24, 1950, the very first rocket to ever launch from Cape Canaveral blasted off into space. [‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com]

The Bumper 2 was an experimental, two-stage rocket that could fly as high as 250 miles above the Earth. It was a V-2 missile base topped with a WAC Corporal rocket and launched under the direction of the General Electric Company. The mission's purpose was to test new rocket technologies and collect data about Earth's upper atmosphere.