“The first documented rocket is believed to have been the Chinese fire arrow, which was basically a bamboo tube loaded with a mixture of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur that was then attached to an arrow. The archer placed the arrow on his bow, lit the mixture, and let it fly in the hopes of vanquishing his rivals during battle.” SpaceHistoryRockets Book:Space Oddities - Forgotten Stories of Mankind's Exploration of Space Source: Space Oddities - Forgotten Stories of Mankind's Exploration of Space