Where was the world's first professional rocket test site established?

   In 1930 American physicist Robert Goddard set up the world's first professional rocket test site in Roswell, New Mexico. This task was not an easy one. Goddard and his poorly equipped crew encountered bad weather and dangerous insects. And because they were the first individuals to undertake such a project, they had to learn by trial and error. Facing a shortage of funds and inadequate supplies, Goddard had to recover all the materials he could after each test flight. This limitation required the development of good parachutes so that a rocket would not come crashing down and be destroyed. The flights had other hazards as well. One rocket went off course and headed right for Goddard and his assistant, both of whom dived to the ground to avoid being hit. And they had to be constantly wary of explosions that would send pieces of metal flying in all directions. Nonetheless, in some of these flights Goddard's rockets went as high as 1.25 miles (2 kilometers).