Wernher Von Braun

Wernher von Braun (March 23, 1912 – June 16, 1977) was one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany and the United States. Originally leading Nazi Germany's rocket development program before and during the Second World War, he entered the United States at the end of the war through the then-secret Operation Paperclip. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen and worked on the American ICBM program before joining NASA, where he served as Director. He is generally regarded as the father of the United States space program.