Hermann Oberth
Hermann Oberth (1894–1989) was a Romanian-born German physicist and engineer considered one of the founding fathers of rocketry and astronautics. He was the mentor of Wernher von Braun and is noted in UAP research for having performed extensive study on UFOs. Oberth's interest in unidentified flying objects lent credibility to the subject during an era when mainstream science largely dismissed it, and his connection to both the early rocket programs and UFO research positions him at the intersection of mid-20th century aerospace advancement and the alleged reverse engineering programs discussed by Edgar Fouché and others.
| Role | Father of German rocketry; UFO researcher |
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Famous Quote
Oberth made the remarkable statement: "We cannot take the credit for our record advancements in certain scientific fields alone. We have been helped by people of other worlds." This quote is frequently referenced in UAP research as evidence that early rocket scientists may have had knowledge of or access to non-human technology.
1954 Flying Saucer Lecture
In 1954, Oberth gave a lecture on flying saucers in which he presented analysis of UFO speeds based on radar data. Kevin Knuth references this lecture in his academic presentations on UAP physics:
- Over 50 radar measurements — Oberth cited more than 50 UFO speed measurements from US Air Force and US Navy data
- 19 kilometers per second — UFO speeds calculated at approximately 42,000 mph or Mach 55
- Reliability statement — Oberth stated: "If there would only be three or four measurements I would not rely upon them and would wait for further measurements, but there is existing more than 50 such measurements"
This 1954 analysis established that extreme UFO performance characteristics were documented by military radar systems decades before modern UAP disclosure efforts.
1954 American Weekly Article
In the same year, Oberth wrote in American Weekly: "It is my thesis that flying saucers are real and that they are spaceships from another solar system. I think that they are possibly manned by intelligent observers who are members of a race that may have been investigating our Earth for centuries."
He proposed that UFOs might fly by "distorting the gravitational field"—a theoretical propulsion concept that presaged modern physics discussions of spacetime manipulation and has been referenced by contemporary UAP researchers analyzing craft capabilities.
Relationship to Werner Von Braun
Oberth mentored Wernher von Braun, who became one of the leading figures in both German and American rocket programs. This mentor-student relationship is cited in Philip J. Corso's testimony as part of the lineage of scientists and engineers who may have been aware of or involved with Technologies of Unknown Origin derived from UAP crash retrievals.
Significance to UAP Research
Oberth's dual role as both a founding father of rocketry and a public advocate for the reality of flying saucers makes him a uniquely significant figure in UAP history. His willingness to publicly state that UFOs were real spaceships, backed by his analysis of military radar data, lent mainstream scientific credibility to UFO research during the 1950s.
Kevin Knuth extensively references Oberth's 1954 radar analysis in academic presentations, noting that the extreme velocities calculated by Oberth (Mach 55) align with modern multisensor UAP data like the 1986 Japan Airlines UFO Incident where Knuth calculated speeds of approximately 269,000 mph.
Sources
- Video - The Physics of UFOs– Dr. Kevin Knuth
- Video - Alien Reproduction Vehicle - TR-3B and the Flying Triangles
- Herman Oberth, 1954 lecture on flying saucers
- Herman Oberth, 1954 American Weekly article