Stephen Hector Taylor-Smith

Who was Stephen Hector Taylor-Smith?

Stephen Hector Taylor-Smith often known as Stephen Smith, was a pioneering Indian rocket scientist who developed techniques in delivering mail by rocket. Unlike Friedrich Schmiedl, whom the Austrian Authorities banned from further experimenting, Smith was encouraged in his experiments by Indian Officials. In the ten year span of his experiments, Smith made some 270 launches, including at least 80 rocket mail flights.

He was born on 14 February at Strawberry Hill, in Shillong, Assam. Even as a boy, along with other schoolmates Smith attempted to transport live garden lizards in rockets over the swimming pool of St. Patrick's School, Asansol. He attended St. Patrick's from 1903 to 1911. Smith was the first rocket experimenter to successfully transport foodstuff, medicine and livestock via rockets.

Smith made careers as a customs official, a policeman and a dentist. He became the Secretary of the Indian Airmail Society, and combined his work with his interest in rocketry.