The National Space Society invites you to the next Space Forum
Thursday, February 9, 2023, 9:00 pm to 10:15 pm EST
The Past 200 Years of Space Tourism
With Bill Bradshaw
Bill Bradshaw
Science Museum Professional (retired)
The concept of “Space Tourism” is not new. From the moment we looked up at the night sky people have pondered what it would be like to travel into space. Our fascination with other worlds and how to get to them has been around for centuries. Yet, since Yuri Gagarin’s flight in 1961, only 640+ of our fellow citizens of Earth have ventured into space. Not a lot considering human spaceflight has been around for a little more than 60 years. And up until recently space travel has been the province of governments and highly trained professionals. With the advent of “New Space” and the emergence of companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, Axiom Space and others, that is changing. The idea of traveling into space not to do a job, but to just enjoy the view is on the cusp of creation. But how did that start?
Bill’s presentation will take a look back and focus on that fascination through an historical ride that traces the idea of space tourism in popular culture and science. The business of tourism is not only the act of actually going in person, but also the vicarious joy of reading travel accounts, seeing them illustrated in art and cinema, and taking simulated rides to the moon and beyond. Bill will make use of a wide array of visuals to illustrate the history of space tourism. Don’t miss this unique and fun look at how the concept of space tourism has evolved over the last two hundred years and register today using the links in this message.
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Bill Bradshaw was in the science museum field for 42 years during which he directed four science museum institutions. He has a life-long interest in space exploration and science fiction and teaches several courses on those subjects at the Furman University OLLI program. He is presently distributing his large collection of space toys and popular culture items to six institutions.
Register today to reserve your seat and ask your questions. Use the link below.
Register no later than February 9 at 8 pm EST
