Tomorrow marks the birth in 1882 of a man who ended up being called “The father of the space age” — Robert Goddard. He was just 17 when he climbed a tree to think about his future and decided to dedicate his life to developing rockets and space travel. This when America moved by horse and buggy and steam engine. Goddard’s work led to the first liquid-fueled rocket launch in 1926 and, later on, the development of solid propellants. Space flight has been a part of modern life for well over half a century, from manned missions and satellites to telescopes and probes into deep space. From 2000 to 2010, the U.S. launched 63 noncommercial spacecraft and 16 that were sponsored. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.