Wernher von Braun (1912-1977) was one of the most controversial figures of the 20th century. Some called him a pioneer and a genius. Others saw in him an unscrupulous opportunist, willing to make a pact with any devil who would have him. Working for Adolf Hitler during World War II, he developed the infamous V2 rocket that razed whole sections of London and Antwerp. In the 1960s, working for President John F. Kennedy in the United States, he helped create the Saturn V moon rocket. This opened a new chapter in history as human beings left their home planet for the first time.