In 1962, Egypt fired rockets over the desert and celebrated its entry into the missile age. Then Heinz Krug, a German rocket scientist at the heart of the program, disappeared without a trace, leaving behind one of the Cold War's strangest unresolved Middle Eastern mysteries

For a few moments on July 21, 1962, Egypt had exactly the spectacle it wanted. Four surface-to-surface rockets blasted into the sky near Wadi El Natrun as journalists watched from the desert. The rockets eventually fell into the Mediterranean, but the message had already been delivered: Egypt wanted the world to see that it had entered the "missile age," as per a report.

The government followed the launches with rallies and fireworks, while a plane dropped candy over Cairo. State-owned radio celebrated the country's new long-range firepower.