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17 September 1857 was the birth date of Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, a Russian scientist, engineer, and pioneer of astronautics. Tsiolkovsky's work laid the foundation for the development of modern rocketry and space exploration. He developed the concept of the multi-stage rocket, which is essential for space travel, and formulated the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation, which describes the relationship between the rocket's mass, velocity, and exhaust velocity.