Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Historians recently found a centuries-old document detailing instruction for rocket science, believed to date back to the 16th century. The document, known as the Sibiu Manuscript, was authored by Austrian military engineer Conrad Haas, a visionary in early rocket concepts.
Conrad Haas (1509–1576), an Austrian engineer, is credited with creating the first theories on multi-stage rockets. Historians regard the manuscript as a pioneering work, reflecting concepts far ahead of Haas’s time.
Originally written in German, the 450-page document covers artillery and ballistics in great detail. Its existence was little-known until historians verified its authenticity, providing rare insight into early rocket science.
The manuscript surfaced in 1961 when Professor Doru Todericiu of Bucharest University found it in the State Archives of Sibiu, Romania. This discovery named it the Sibiu Manuscript, after its place of origin.
The manuscript includes detailed illustrations of rocket designs, such as a cylinder-shaped thrust chamber filled with powdered fuel and a conical combustion chamber—a notable leap in rocket technology for the time.
Prior to this discovery, the first documentation of a multi-stage rocket was attributed to Kazimierz Siemienowicz’s 1650 treatise, Artis Magnae Artilleriae. Haas’s work challenges this timeline with its earlier insights into rocket mechanics.
The manuscript contains a unique warning from Haas against using rockets for warfare. His translated words advise “for peace and no war, leaving the rifles calmly in storage,” underscoring his concern about the potential for destruction.