V-2 missile

German liquid-fueled ballistic missile of World War II, forerunner of modern space launch vehicles (see also rocket) and long-range missiles. Developed starting in 1936 under Wernher von Braun, it was fired against Paris, Great Britain, and Belgium in 1944 and 1945. After the war, the U.S. and the Soviet Union captured large numbers of V-2s and used them in research that led to the development of their missile and space-exploration programs. See also V-1 missile.

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