posted 09-16-2007 05:27 PM               

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On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union shocked the world when it became the first country to launch a satellite into space.

But today, that event is recognized as a stepping stone of spaceflight.

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Space Exploration and the launch of Sputnik I, the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center will host a series of events from September 28 through December 8.

Events include school presentations, public presentations, book signings, meet-and-greet opportunities, members-only events, and off-location activities.

Special guests include astronauts Brian Duffy, Ed Mitchell and Scott Carpenter, as well as flight simulation supervisor Tim Terry, retired pad leader Guenter Wendt, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum curator Martin Collins, and chair of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Space History Division, Dr. Michael Neufeld.

Beginning in mid September, the Cosmosphere will display the "Moon Club," the famous golf club used by Alan Shepard on the Moon's surface during Apollo 14, and the "Shuttle Putter," the putter used by astronaut Brian Duffy aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1996. Both artifacts are on loan from the United States Golf Association Museum. The USGA Museum has never before loaned the Moon Club to another organization for long-term display.

Cosmosphere patrons can receive admission discounts October 4 with "50 for the 50th." That day only, admission to the Hall of Space Museum, Dr. Goddard's Lab and Justice Planetarium is 50 cents each; IMAX tickets are 50 percent off.

In affiliation with the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, Prairie Dunes Country Club will celebrate its 70th anniversary on Saturday, September 29 with special appearances by Brian Duffy, Tim Terry and Ed Mitchell. Prairie Dunes will also display the "Moon Club" and "Shuttle Putter" the day of the event.

All events are free to attend. For book signings, patrons can purchase the author's book in the Cargo Bay Gift Store.

Event sponsors include Cessna Aircraft Company, Bombardier Aerospace, First National Bank and TSW Products.

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posted 09-16-2007 06:28 PM              

Micropooz: time for a visit home.

Robert Pearlman: come on down.

posted 10-03-2007 11:04 AM               

Miranda and I attended the book signing at the Kansas Cosmosphere last night. The event was advertised as a book signing for Scott Carpenter's For Spacious Skies and Guenter Wendt's Unbroken Chain. I already had signed copies of both books but the advertisement for the event mentioned a lecture. We attended Guenter's lecture at the Autograph Show at the Cape in June but we enjoyed it so much we decided to travel to the Cosmosphere just to listen to Guenter again. I had never heard Scott lecture but I had also heard he was a great speaker. Miranda and I decided to go shortly after the event was announced but then we started to get other reasons to go.

As I said I had signed copies of For Spacious Skies and Unbroken Chain but then I learned that "futureastronaut" Mike, who posts here often, did not have. I offered to get his copies signed so he could enjoy them. Hey Mike, send me your snail mail address and I will get these books in the mail to you. I have lost your address already.

The Cosmosphere has a Q-ball on display and Francis French and Colin Burgess have been presented pieces of a Q-ball by one of its engineers. The engineer presented the authors of In To That Silent Sea and In the Shadow of the Moon these Q-ball pieces to honor them and their work in writing these books. A trip to the Cosmosphere let me photograph their Q-ball display. Francis, check your in box for the photos. I have also been trading e-mails with Phyllis, the Cosmosphere's Gift Store Manager about Francis and Colin's books. I told her that I could bring my copies of their book to let her preview them in hopes that she would add them to the Cosmosphere's inventory. Alan Shepard's Moon Shot golf club was at the Cosmosphere and two artifacts have been mentioned so I decided to try to photograph them so they could be added to that thread.

I took Miranda out of school early so we could be at the Cosmosphere in time to go through the Museum before the lecture. Miranda was happy about that. We arrived at the Cosmosphere at 5pm. Phyllis was in the lobby setting up a display to sell their copies of Unbroken Chain and Spacious Skies. She seemed to be impressed by Silent Sea and Shadow of the Moon. She had checked and the Cosmosphere does have an account with the publishers of those books. She said she was really going to look at getting those books for the Cosmosphere. One of the first things I noticed was the Cosmosphere had changed. They took a wall out of the banquet hall in the lobby and converted it to a display area. The simulator and other displays that was part of the traveling exhibit of the Liberty Bell are now set up in this area. Phyllis said they still had banquet space upstairs and the entire lobby could also be used as a banquet area. I like the change.

Guenter and Scott came in at 6:30pm and after being introduced they began to talk. The Cosmosphere showed a short video about Guenter then he talked for about 45 minutes. He told some funny stories, some I had heard at the Cape but there were new ones also. Guenter had the crowd, and Scott laughing quite a bit. Then it was time for Scott to give his talk.

They showed a video about Scott. One part of the video showed Scott wearing shorts and nothing else. There were about 4 or 5 other guys around him wearing the same type of shorts. I am sure it was shot during his Navy days. In the scene Scott is shown opening a box that has a hat from his "dress whites" uniform. Next the other guys around him grab him and carry him over to the edge of the pier they are standing on and they toss him into the water. It was quite a drop. Scott surfaces and is laughing. Then someone throws this dress white hat at him while he is still in the water. I looked at Scott and he really seemed to be enjoying the video. Later he is show climbing out of the water and they take the hat and put in on him. It must have been part of an un-official celebration of some event that has just taken place in his Naval career. A few minutes later I looked at him again and while I can't be sure he seemed to be wiping a tear away. When the video was over Scott seemed to take a moment, it seemed to me that he was composing himself, and then his first comment was "that was the first time I have seen that". I can only assume he was talking about the dunking but I could be wrong. There was also a clip of him and his family, along with a blonde haired little girl, meeting with Kennedy. Maybe he was talking about that. After that Scott talked for about 45 minutes about his career with NASA and with the deep-sea projects.

After the talks the media interviewed Scott and Guenter then they began to sign their books. I think it was about 8:20pm when they started to sign. There was quite a bit of a crowd there. I intentionally waited to get in line in hopes of having an extra autograph added to a couple of different books. As we were waiting in line I met a woman who also lived at the corner of 7th and Aurora in Boulder in the early 60s. She told of the day of the flight of Aurora 7 and of how Scott had been lost for a few hours. She said the media was around that corner and in their efforts to get a video of the Carpenter house with the street sign showing 7th and Aurora they had to make a compromise. The house they showed was not the Carpenter house but that it was her house. Later I saw her talking to Scott about it. He seemed to enjoy hearing that story.

The event was scheduled to end at 9pm but it was 9:15 when we made it to their signing table. Both men were kind and were posing for photos. The Cosmosphere were selling posters packets. The Cosmosphere in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Sputnik designed the posters. Included in the packet was an Aurora 7 patch and a black and white photo of Scott in his silver spacesuit standing near a wall that had the NASA logo on it. Scott and Guenter were signing the posters and prints too. As we were working our way up to the table a Cosmosphere staff member had came down the line and said that Scott was only signing one item but he seemed to be willing to sign more than one if asked. The lady that lived near him had a book and poster signed. Miranda offered to handle the black and white photo for her and she did that.

Even through the event had run long the staff of the Cosmosphere was pleasant. Phyllis seemed to have a few books left over and I think they were talking about having them signed for the gift shop. If someone needs a signed copy of For Spacious Skies or Unbroken Chain, you might want to give them a call. There might be a very limited number of them available. The new Cosmosphere CEO Chris Orwoll was there the whole time. Before we left I went up to him to thank him for the wonderful evening and we ended up talking for about 10 minutes. He was open and kind to talk to. I really felt like he enjoyed the evening. He also mentioned that an Academy classmate had just been assigned a shuttle flight and how he was going to really try to attend that launch. Chris seemed like a great guy and I feel the Cosmosphere is in great hands. I had a much better impression of him than I did past CEO Jeff Ollenburger.

It was a late evening and it was well past midnight before Miranda and I got home but it was a great evening too.

posted 10-03-2007 04:04 PM              

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Originally posted by FFrench:
I still have to visit the place, and would love to do a talk and signing there sometime like I am doing in Chicago this weekend.

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posted 10-03-2007 04:43 PM              

First of all it was good to see cS's Russ and Donna Davoren, and Kevin Carrico. Kevin was also at Dr Ed Mitchell's presentation last Saturday night.

I was not surprised to see Dr Mitchell give a very cerebal lecture; definitely not the Buck Rogers people expect.

He is quite the brilliant Renaissance Man; a test pilot, a PhD from MIT Aeronautical Engineer, an Astronaut, an Explorer in the fullest sense, and a brilliant philosopher.

Not sure if I agree with or understand all he presents but he makes me think.

He mentioned several times a Buckminister Fuller quote that we are all part of the crew on Spaceship Earth, and that the crew is in mutiny. Having seen our "Big Blue Marble", and having felt at unity with the Universe; he strongly feels we need to end our mutiny, and stop fighting over who has the best God, etc. I believe I agree. I think this will happen.

Read "Way of the Explorer", and/orhear him lecture if you can. But be prepared to think.

posted 10-03-2007 10:07 PM            

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Originally posted by Steve: I would really like to see that happen. I'll talk it up. Let me know if I can help.

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