The National Space Society invites you to the next Space Forum
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 9:00 pm to 10:15 pm EDT
The People’s Spaceship: NASA, the Shuttle Era, and Public Engagement after Apollo
with
Dr. Amy Kaminski
Author
Chief of Public Engagement
Science Mission Directorate, NASA
In 1969, the world watched in awe as Apollo 11 astronauts took humankind’s first steps on the Moon. Inspired by this monumental achievement, NASA dreamed of even more ambitious missions. However, with the civil rights movement, environmental issues, and the Vietnam War capturing the nation’s attention, support for grand space ventures waned. NASA needed to find a new approach—one that could build on the excitement of Apollo and make space exploration more relatable for everyday Americans.
This led to the birth of the space shuttle program. For forty years, the shuttle was at the core of NASA’s human spaceflight efforts, becoming an iconic symbol of American innovation and providing new ways for the public to engage with space.
Join us for a special Space Forum as Dr. Amy Kaminski delves into this transformative era, drawing insights from her new book, The People’s Spaceship. Dr. Kaminski will explore how NASA carefully connected the shuttle program to diverse aspects of society, revealing the triumphs and trials that cemented the space shuttle’s place as a technological icon. Don’t miss this chance to revisit one of NASA’s most influential programs and discover how it brought space exploration closer to home. Reserve your spot at this Space Forum today!
As a special bonus, NSS has secured four copies of The People’s Spaceship. These books will be signed by Dr. Kaminski and will be given away as virtual door prizes.
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Dr. Amy Kaminski is a catalyst and champion for expanding public engagement with science and technology with more than 20 years of experience in the U.S. federal government in policy and program development roles, working closely with the academic, nonprofit, and corporate sectors. She currently serves as chief of the public engagement branch in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Previously, as NASA’s program executive for prizes, challenges, and crowdsourcing, and as senior policy advisor to NASA’s chief scientist, she worked to develop strategies to expand the space agency’s use of open innovation methods in its research, technology, and exploration activities.
Before joining NASA, she contributed to the development of national space and science policies and oversaw NASA science and education program budgets and performance at the White House Office of Management and Budget. Prior to that, she was an analyst in the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Her very first position was (quite notably!) with the National Space Society, where she supported policy and outreach initiatives.
Dr. Kaminski is the editor of Space Science and Public Engagement: 21st Century Perspectives and Opportunities (Elsevier, 2021), a book showcasing the experiences and insights of some of the world’s leading practitioners and scholars in this arena. Her new book, The People’s Spaceship: NASA, the Shuttle Era, and Public Engagement after Apollo, was published by the University of Pittsburgh Press in 2024.
Register today to reserve your seat and ask your questions. Use the link below.
Register no later than November 14 at 8 pm EST
