Hermes Rocket Project

The American Hermes Missile Project began in 1944 in response to Germany’s rocket attacks in Europe. After the war, with the help of captured German rocket scientists, General Electric assembled V-2 rockets at the White Sands, New Mexico Proving Grounds. The first Project Hermes V-2 launch in April 1946 reached only 3.4 miles altitude. The maximum altitude reached by the project in 1946 was 114 miles.