Sat, Apr 23, 2011
Reflects On 50 Years Of Human Spaceflight
NASA's History Program Office and the National Air and Space
Museum's Division of Space History are hosting a joint symposium
entitled "1961/1981: Key Moments in Human Spaceflight." The
symposium reflects on 50 years of human spaceflight using 1961 and
1981 as starting points for broader investigation and insight.
Leading historians and social scientists will address the rich
history of human spaceflight marking four important
anniversaries.
Three key events occurred in 1961: Yuri Gagarin became the first
human to travel in space; Alan Shepard became the first American in
space; and President John F. Kennedy gave his famous speech before
Congress which started the Apollo program.
This conference also marks the 30th anniversary of STS-1, the
first space shuttle mission which launched April 12, 1981. The
54-hour, 36-orbit test flight mission verified the shuttle's
capabilities and ushered in a new era of exploration.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will open the symposium. Other
speakers include the agency's Chief Historian Bill Barry, and Paul
Ceruzzi, Roger Launius, and Michael Neufeld of the National Air and
Space Museum's Division of Space History. Keynote speakers include
Michael F. Robinson of the University of Hartford, who will discuss
"Lessons from the Last Frontier," and George C. Herring of the
University of Kentucky on "The Cold War and Human Spaceflight." The
symposium is April 26-27 in the James Webb Auditorium at NASA
Headquarters in Washington, DC from 0900-1700 EDT. It is open to
the public.
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