Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun, the renowned German rocket scientist, passed away on June 16th, 1977, at the age of 65. Von Braun began his career as a physicist and aeronautical engineer, making major contributions to the development of ballistic missiles for Nazi Germany during World War II. In 1945, he and his team were relocated to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip, where he continued working on rocket engineering and space exploration. He is best known for his work developing the V-2 rocket, the world’s first operational guided ballistic missile, while working at Peenemünde Army Research Center. He redesigned it to become the Redstone rocket, which helped propel the first U.S. astronauts into space. He then became director of the Marshall Space Flight Center where he was the chief architect of the Saturn V Moon rocket, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. The launch of Saturn V was an important step in the effort to send humans to the Moon and successfully land on its surface. Through his research, engineering, and writing, Professor von Braun left an unparalleled legacy in space exploration and rocket science, and will be remembered as one of the most influential pioneers in the fields.