* Astronomy

Fritz Adam Hermann Opel, since 1918 von Opel (4 May 1899, Rüsselsheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse - 8 April 1971), was the founder of the Opel Company. He is remembered mostly for his spectacular demonstrations of rocket propulsion that earned him the nickname "Rocket Fritz".
On 15 March 1928 von Opel tested his first rocket-powered car, the RAK.1 and achieved a top speed of 75 km/h in it, proving the concept. Less than two months later, he reached a speed of 230 km/h in the RAK.2, driven by 24 solid-fuel rockets. Later that same year, he purchased a sailplane named the "Ente" (duck in German) from Alexander Lippisch and attached rocket motors to it, creating the world's first rocket plane on 11 June.
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