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Source: ONE News -
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Monday's successful Kiwi rocket launch has brought back memories of New Zealand's first launch 46 years ago.
The year was 1963 and Archie Ross remembers it well as he was in charge of aiming the rockets.
"The first one, when it was fired it went straight up so quickly my head went back so fast... I thought it was going to go back over my head and land in Cathedral Square which was not a good option," says Ross.
The launch was part of a programme that spanned three years.
In 1965 there were more launches in Northland to take readings of an eclipse of the sun.
"The eclipse acted like a perfect on-off switch for the ionsphere," says Ross.
It was a joint effort between Canterbury University's physics department and the Air Force.
Monday's launch has reignited the excitement.
"I thought it was pretty spectacular it went up with the same woosh that I can recall ours going up," says Ross.
While New Zealand may not be NASA, the plan is to keep on knocking on the door of space research.
