Born in Tiabaya Arequipa Pedro Paulet Mostajo’s life was a fascinating blend of artistry and invention. A child fascinated by flight he launched homemade rockets using gunpowder from festivals. He filled reeds with gunpowder tied them with hemp string and sometimes even added live animals. His experiments despite his family’s disapproval continued in open fields.
The Pedro Paulet Mostajo story is one of extraordinary ambition. This brilliant Peruvian diplomat and engineer is lauded by some as a pioneer in rocketry. He allegedly built a liquid-propellant rocket engine decades ahead of others. His work however remains unverified.
Young Paulet attended San Vicente de Paul School. Later he studied at the National University of Saint Augustine. There he founded the Patriotic Society and the Artistic Center. He excelled in the arts. He was a talented sculptor and painter winning awards for his creations. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Arts.
A scholarship from President Remigio Morales Bermúdez allowed him to study engineering and architecture in Paris. In Paris he continued his rocket experiments. He used Panclastite for propulsion. He worked secretly because of police restrictions. An explosion damaged his hearing. He was briefly arrested suspected of being an anarchist.
He later experimented with nitrogen peroxide and gasoline as fuel. This revolutionary engine could function in the vacuum of space. His fluency in multiple languages helped him as a newspaper correspondent. This allowed him to fund his studies and travel. He studied under notable scientists. Financial constraints lab access and neighbors’ complaints hampered his research.
His contributions extended beyond science. He served as a diplomat for Peru in various countries. He also headed the Escuela Nacional de Artes y Oficios. He helped develop Peru’s aviation organization. He even proposed a military submarine and contributed to bringing wireless telegraphy to the Amazon.
His rocket work remained largely unknown until 1927. A letter published in El Comercio detailed his early experiments. He even criticized Max Valier’s rocket aircraft proposal. His design uniquely differed from Goddard’s using an intermittent fuel injection. Henry Ford reportedly tried to buy his inventions but Paulet refused. He gained attention from the Verein für Raumschiffahrt but rejected Nazi collaboration.
Paulet continued to pursue his interests. He collaborated with engineers in the Netherlands. He promoted Peru’s development internationally. He designed aircraft incorporating thermoelectric generators. He served as Consul General in various locations. His rocket engine was lost during World War II.
He experienced health problems later in life. His death in 1945 in Buenos Aires was unexpected. He died clutching a telegram about reaching his diplomatic service age limit. Despite the lack of definitive proof of his early work Pedro Paulet Mostajo’s legacy as a visionary remains. He appears on the 100-soles banknote. His name lives on in Peru as a symbol of national pride and ingenuity. Statues stand in Tiabaya and in Lima’s Parque Domodossola. A mausoleum honors him in the Cementerio Presbítero Matías Maestro. He even earned a Google Doodle in 2011. His story continues to inspire generations.