Join LILRC when we welcome Dr. Roger D. Launius to speak on his new book, NASA in 100 Objects.
NASA in 100 Objects begins with the agency’s origin as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1915 and moves through the space race, Apollo era, rise of Earth orbital activities, Space Shuttle and International Space Station, and present-day commercial spaceflight. This presentation describes the process of selecting the objects, telling their stories, and assembling a stunning array of visual images. The book offers a broad overview of NASA history through selected objects, each telling a story of human aspiration and innovation. NASA in 100 Objects presents an accessible reference guide to the nation’s amazing history of space exploration.
Roger D. Launius is Principal of Launius Historical Services, Auburn, Alabama. Between 1990 and 2002 he served as chief historian of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. From there he moved to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., where he served most recently as Associate Director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs until retirement in 2017. He is the author, recently, of The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future (Smithsonian Books, 2018); Apollo’s Legacy: The Space Race in Perspective (Smithsonian Books, 2019); Reaching for the Moon: A Short History of Space Race (Yale University Press, 2019); An Unofficial History of NASA Mission Patches (Thunder Bay Press, 2020); NACA to NASA to Now: The Frontiers of Air and Space in the American Century (NASA SP-2022-4419, 2022); and Smithsonian Atlas of Space: A Map to the Universe from the Big Bang to the Future (Smithsonian Books, 2024). He was a consultant to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board in 2003 and served on several review boards of the National Academy of Sciences. He is also a recipient of the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and the Exceptional Achievement Medal. He has been a guest commentator on space history for all the major television and news radio networks.
Thurs., November 19
2:00pm – 3:00pm (EST)
Zoom: Register here