Shawn Malley
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781786941190
- eISBN:
- 9781789629088
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781786941190.003.0005
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
Focusing on the History Channel's popular series Ancient Aliens (2009-), this chapter examines how the (pseudo)documentary mode of representing the incredible idea that extra-terrestrial ...
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Focusing on the History Channel's popular series Ancient Aliens (2009-), this chapter examines how the (pseudo)documentary mode of representing the incredible idea that extra-terrestrial intelligences intervened in human history directs amateur experiences of archaeology towards SF conventions. Integral to these viewing experiences of Ancient Aliens are the kinds of future-pasts exposed in the series. Of particular interest is the threatening sense of the past, which capitalizes and obliquely comments on the current state of insecurity generated in all sorts of news, documentary and fictional media. This chapter contends that recurrent themes such as doomsday weapons, extra-terrestrial invasion threats, government conspiracies, genetic tampering, the rise and fall of civilizations, the Mayan calendar, and the insistent focus on the Middle East as the origin of civilization and setting for the (imminent) apocalypse cast palpable contemporary geopolitical anxieties into challenging narratives of cultural origins. As such, the ancient alien topos, though pseudo-archaeological, is a significant cultural expression of the dialogic relationship between archaeology and SF film and television as popular and imaginative expressions of historical identity and geopolitical mediation.Less
Focusing on the History Channel's popular series Ancient Aliens (2009-), this chapter examines how the (pseudo)documentary mode of representing the incredible idea that extra-terrestrial intelligences intervened in human history directs amateur experiences of archaeology towards SF conventions. Integral to these viewing experiences of Ancient Aliens are the kinds of future-pasts exposed in the series. Of particular interest is the threatening sense of the past, which capitalizes and obliquely comments on the current state of insecurity generated in all sorts of news, documentary and fictional media. This chapter contends that recurrent themes such as doomsday weapons, extra-terrestrial invasion threats, government conspiracies, genetic tampering, the rise and fall of civilizations, the Mayan calendar, and the insistent focus on the Middle East as the origin of civilization and setting for the (imminent) apocalypse cast palpable contemporary geopolitical anxieties into challenging narratives of cultural origins. As such, the ancient alien topos, though pseudo-archaeological, is a significant cultural expression of the dialogic relationship between archaeology and SF film and television as popular and imaginative expressions of historical identity and geopolitical mediation.
Shawn Malley
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781786941190
- eISBN:
- 9781789629088
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781786941190.003.0006
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
This chapter transposes the analogical investigation of ancient astronauts as a source of geopolitical meditation in Ancient Aliens to a SF film that make this connection explicit: Steven Spielberg's ...
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This chapter transposes the analogical investigation of ancient astronauts as a source of geopolitical meditation in Ancient Aliens to a SF film that make this connection explicit: Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull (2006), which adapts the cinematic antecedent of 1950s B SF movies—in which aliens function as a trope for governmental conspiracy, atomic anxiety, and Soviet hysteria—into ancient astronaut discourse. An interesting subtext of Spielberg’s nostalgic throwback to SF film history is the nature of the aliens themselves. As archaeologists and collectors, they replicate the kinds of colonial archaeology that Jones and even the audience may take for granted. These beings function within the SF métier as an external threat, but they simultaneously sanction the civilizing activities undertaken by democratic institutions like the British Museum, Louvre and Metropolitan Museum. The film thus neatly closes the hermeneutic circle on the Indiana Jones franchise by mining its latent SF tropes: the intrepid figure of colonial archaeology is reinvigorated through the exotic adventures of technologically-advanced beings from outer space. Archaeology is a device for manifesting threats that can be foiled by the very scientific structures and geopolitical forces that inform the entertaining world of action and adventure.Less
This chapter transposes the analogical investigation of ancient astronauts as a source of geopolitical meditation in Ancient Aliens to a SF film that make this connection explicit: Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull (2006), which adapts the cinematic antecedent of 1950s B SF movies—in which aliens function as a trope for governmental conspiracy, atomic anxiety, and Soviet hysteria—into ancient astronaut discourse. An interesting subtext of Spielberg’s nostalgic throwback to SF film history is the nature of the aliens themselves. As archaeologists and collectors, they replicate the kinds of colonial archaeology that Jones and even the audience may take for granted. These beings function within the SF métier as an external threat, but they simultaneously sanction the civilizing activities undertaken by democratic institutions like the British Museum, Louvre and Metropolitan Museum. The film thus neatly closes the hermeneutic circle on the Indiana Jones franchise by mining its latent SF tropes: the intrepid figure of colonial archaeology is reinvigorated through the exotic adventures of technologically-advanced beings from outer space. Archaeology is a device for manifesting threats that can be foiled by the very scientific structures and geopolitical forces that inform the entertaining world of action and adventure.
Lisa Westwood, Beth Laura O'Leary, and Milford Wayne Donaldson
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780813062464
- eISBN:
- 9780813053004
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813062464.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
Deep within the rugged mountains above Simi Valley and standing tall against the desert landscape of southern New Mexico lie the once-majestic rocket test stands and research facilities that helped ...
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Deep within the rugged mountains above Simi Valley and standing tall against the desert landscape of southern New Mexico lie the once-majestic rocket test stands and research facilities that helped send men to the moon for the first time in 1969. Now silent for decades, many of these abandoned structures–and countless space research, astronaut training, and manufacturing facilities that dot the American landscape–lie crumbling in ruins, failing to achieve recognition for their role in the historic Apollo missions. These sites helped refine the Saturn V rocket engines that carried Apollo 11 to the moon, developed the equipment that allowed humans to survive in an oxygen-free environment, and tested the re-entry shields on the command module. The contributions of these sites are no less important than Cape Canaveral and Mission Control and the preservation of them is just as important to archaeology. History remembers Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, but it has long since forgotten the vanishing sites that reflect the historic “culture of Apollo.”Less
Deep within the rugged mountains above Simi Valley and standing tall against the desert landscape of southern New Mexico lie the once-majestic rocket test stands and research facilities that helped send men to the moon for the first time in 1969. Now silent for decades, many of these abandoned structures–and countless space research, astronaut training, and manufacturing facilities that dot the American landscape–lie crumbling in ruins, failing to achieve recognition for their role in the historic Apollo missions. These sites helped refine the Saturn V rocket engines that carried Apollo 11 to the moon, developed the equipment that allowed humans to survive in an oxygen-free environment, and tested the re-entry shields on the command module. The contributions of these sites are no less important than Cape Canaveral and Mission Control and the preservation of them is just as important to archaeology. History remembers Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, but it has long since forgotten the vanishing sites that reflect the historic “culture of Apollo.”
Valerie Neal
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780300206517
- eISBN:
- 9780300227987
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300206517.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
This book examines the principal texts, images, and icons that convey the meaning, and transformation of meaning, of human spaceflight in the space shuttle era from the 1970s into the early 2000s. ...
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This book examines the principal texts, images, and icons that convey the meaning, and transformation of meaning, of human spaceflight in the space shuttle era from the 1970s into the early 2000s. Various themes and metaphors, consciously promoted by NASA and the media, refreshed the meaning of spaceflight in response to evolving agendas and challenges. Advocates and critics, participants and reporters, contributed to the ongoing redefinition of the purpose and value of human spaceflight. NASA promotional materials and planning documents, the changing character of the astronaut corps, media reportage and opinion pieces, editorial cartoons, program logos and insignia, and photographs are the source materials for this study of spaceflight ideology and iconography and their place in American culture. Inspired by the analytical disciplines of history, rhetoric, media and visual culture studies, and strategic planning, the author takes a broad and novel approach to spaceflight as a cultural text resonant with American traditions and civic values. The ambitious space endeavour that is one of America’s signal technical accomplishments is also one of its most persistent and resilient imaginaries.Less
This book examines the principal texts, images, and icons that convey the meaning, and transformation of meaning, of human spaceflight in the space shuttle era from the 1970s into the early 2000s. Various themes and metaphors, consciously promoted by NASA and the media, refreshed the meaning of spaceflight in response to evolving agendas and challenges. Advocates and critics, participants and reporters, contributed to the ongoing redefinition of the purpose and value of human spaceflight. NASA promotional materials and planning documents, the changing character of the astronaut corps, media reportage and opinion pieces, editorial cartoons, program logos and insignia, and photographs are the source materials for this study of spaceflight ideology and iconography and their place in American culture. Inspired by the analytical disciplines of history, rhetoric, media and visual culture studies, and strategic planning, the author takes a broad and novel approach to spaceflight as a cultural text resonant with American traditions and civic values. The ambitious space endeavour that is one of America’s signal technical accomplishments is also one of its most persistent and resilient imaginaries.
Daniel R. Altschuler and Fernando J. Ballesteros
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- July 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780198844419
- eISBN:
- 9780191879951
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198844419.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
Of the 1586 lunar craters that have been named to honor scientists and philosophers, only 28 honor a woman. This book recounts briefly the story of lunar nomenclature, delves into a few misunderstood ...
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Of the 1586 lunar craters that have been named to honor scientists and philosophers, only 28 honor a woman. This book recounts briefly the story of lunar nomenclature, delves into a few misunderstood questions about the Moon, and then looks at the lives of the few women that were honored. Who were these women? This book recounts their lives, struggles, and achievements. One way or another these were remarkable women: some got a Nobel Prize, others just funded scientific projects, and yet others were female astronauts. Most readers will only know a few of them if at all, but their exemplary lives are inspiring, and will inspire some women to follow in their footsteps and encourage some men to mend their ways. Along the way it also explains some of the science related to their work, so that the book is also an attempt to enhance the public appreciation of science through these individual stories. At a time when there is still a significant gender inequality, and a loss of faith in science, the stories of the women of the moon must be evoked.Less
Of the 1586 lunar craters that have been named to honor scientists and philosophers, only 28 honor a woman. This book recounts briefly the story of lunar nomenclature, delves into a few misunderstood questions about the Moon, and then looks at the lives of the few women that were honored. Who were these women? This book recounts their lives, struggles, and achievements. One way or another these were remarkable women: some got a Nobel Prize, others just funded scientific projects, and yet others were female astronauts. Most readers will only know a few of them if at all, but their exemplary lives are inspiring, and will inspire some women to follow in their footsteps and encourage some men to mend their ways. Along the way it also explains some of the science related to their work, so that the book is also an attempt to enhance the public appreciation of science through these individual stories. At a time when there is still a significant gender inequality, and a loss of faith in science, the stories of the women of the moon must be evoked.
Bin Cheng
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198257301
- eISBN:
- 9780191681745
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198257301.003.0010
- Subject:
- Law, Public International Law
This chapter details the events leading up to the ratification of the 1968 Astronauts Agreement. The Agreement may be said to provide a classic object lesson in how not to make a treaty. First, the ...
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This chapter details the events leading up to the ratification of the 1968 Astronauts Agreement. The Agreement may be said to provide a classic object lesson in how not to make a treaty. First, the haste in which the final text was prepared and rushed through the United Nations resulted in a very poorly conceived and drafted instrument, achieving virtually nothing and yet creating at the same time a host of unresolved problems and difficulties. Secondly, in an agreement the effectiveness of which depends on its wide acceptance, the benefits are so one-sidedly in favour of the space powers (be they major, near-, or co-operative) that it is difficult to see why the non-space powers, which at least for the present represent the majority of States, even though they may be perfectly willing, on humanitarian grounds, to discharge the duties laid down in the Agreement, should legally divest themselves of all discretion as to how they are to be performed. Finally, the major space powers, by pushing this Agreement through ahead of the liability agreement in which all States are interested, and the non-space powers in particular, have only succeeded in convincing the latter that the surest way of ensuring that there will be a liability agreement and that its terms will be satisfactory, is not to ratify or accede to the Astronauts Agreement.Less
This chapter details the events leading up to the ratification of the 1968 Astronauts Agreement. The Agreement may be said to provide a classic object lesson in how not to make a treaty. First, the haste in which the final text was prepared and rushed through the United Nations resulted in a very poorly conceived and drafted instrument, achieving virtually nothing and yet creating at the same time a host of unresolved problems and difficulties. Secondly, in an agreement the effectiveness of which depends on its wide acceptance, the benefits are so one-sidedly in favour of the space powers (be they major, near-, or co-operative) that it is difficult to see why the non-space powers, which at least for the present represent the majority of States, even though they may be perfectly willing, on humanitarian grounds, to discharge the duties laid down in the Agreement, should legally divest themselves of all discretion as to how they are to be performed. Finally, the major space powers, by pushing this Agreement through ahead of the liability agreement in which all States are interested, and the non-space powers in particular, have only succeeded in convincing the latter that the surest way of ensuring that there will be a liability agreement and that its terms will be satisfactory, is not to ratify or accede to the Astronauts Agreement.
Bin Cheng
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198257301
- eISBN:
- 9780191681745
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198257301.003.0013
- Subject:
- Law, Public International Law
Space law, as it now exists, is not an independent legal system. It is merely a functional classification of those rules of international law and of municipal law relating to outer space, natural or ...
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Space law, as it now exists, is not an independent legal system. It is merely a functional classification of those rules of international law and of municipal law relating to outer space, natural or man-made objects in outer space, spacemen, and man’s activities in outer space. This chapter focuses on those rules of public international law which, by defining the legal status of outer space, space objects and spacemen, provide the international legal framework for the activities of States and of their astronauts in outer space.Less
Space law, as it now exists, is not an independent legal system. It is merely a functional classification of those rules of international law and of municipal law relating to outer space, natural or man-made objects in outer space, spacemen, and man’s activities in outer space. This chapter focuses on those rules of public international law which, by defining the legal status of outer space, space objects and spacemen, provide the international legal framework for the activities of States and of their astronauts in outer space.
Bin Cheng
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198257301
- eISBN:
- 9780191681745
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198257301.003.0015
- Subject:
- Law, Public International Law
This chapter discusses the legal status of astronauts. Astronauts of whatever nationality are subject to the full jurisdiction (jurisfaction as well as jurisaction) of the territorial State, while ...
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This chapter discusses the legal status of astronauts. Astronauts of whatever nationality are subject to the full jurisdiction (jurisfaction as well as jurisaction) of the territorial State, while they are within its territory, including its airspace, whether or not actually on board their spacecraft. In addition, they are subject to the quasi-territorial jurisdiction to prescribe (jurisfaction) of the State of registry (or launching State) of the space vehicle they are in, as well as the personal jurisfaction of their respective national States. As soon as a space vehicle leaves the airspace of the territorial State and reaches outer space, the astronauts on board come under the full jurisdiction of the State of registry, while remaining under the personal jurisfaction of their national States.Less
This chapter discusses the legal status of astronauts. Astronauts of whatever nationality are subject to the full jurisdiction (jurisfaction as well as jurisaction) of the territorial State, while they are within its territory, including its airspace, whether or not actually on board their spacecraft. In addition, they are subject to the quasi-territorial jurisdiction to prescribe (jurisfaction) of the State of registry (or launching State) of the space vehicle they are in, as well as the personal jurisfaction of their respective national States. As soon as a space vehicle leaves the airspace of the territorial State and reaches outer space, the astronauts on board come under the full jurisdiction of the State of registry, while remaining under the personal jurisfaction of their national States.
Bin Cheng
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198257301
- eISBN:
- 9780191681745
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198257301.003.0018
- Subject:
- Law, Public International Law
Much of international space law has been developed through the United Nations, principally in the form of the five treaties that it has drafted and presented to States for their acceptance. These are ...
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Much of international space law has been developed through the United Nations, principally in the form of the five treaties that it has drafted and presented to States for their acceptance. These are the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies of 27 January 1967 (the Space Treaty); the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space of 22 April 1968 (the Astronauts Agreement); the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects of 29 March 1972 (the Liability Convention); the Convention on Registration on Objects Launched into Outer Space of 14 January 1975 (the Registration Convention); and the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies of 5 December 1979 (the Moon Treaty). Owing partly to the speed of the development of astronautics, and partly to a lack of co-ordination, some of the terms and phraseology used in these treaties are increasingly being seen as, if not exactly inconsistent, at least ambiguous, confusing, or inadequate. Among these terms are ‘space objects’ and ‘astronauts’, and some of their related expressions, such as ‘personnel of spacecraft’. This chapter seeks to unravel the meanings of these terms in international space law, especially in the context of the several treaties relating to outer space elaborated by the United Nations.Less
Much of international space law has been developed through the United Nations, principally in the form of the five treaties that it has drafted and presented to States for their acceptance. These are the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies of 27 January 1967 (the Space Treaty); the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space of 22 April 1968 (the Astronauts Agreement); the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects of 29 March 1972 (the Liability Convention); the Convention on Registration on Objects Launched into Outer Space of 14 January 1975 (the Registration Convention); and the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies of 5 December 1979 (the Moon Treaty). Owing partly to the speed of the development of astronautics, and partly to a lack of co-ordination, some of the terms and phraseology used in these treaties are increasingly being seen as, if not exactly inconsistent, at least ambiguous, confusing, or inadequate. Among these terms are ‘space objects’ and ‘astronauts’, and some of their related expressions, such as ‘personnel of spacecraft’. This chapter seeks to unravel the meanings of these terms in international space law, especially in the context of the several treaties relating to outer space elaborated by the United Nations.
Marcel Chotkowski LaFollette
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226921990
- eISBN:
- 9780226922010
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226922010.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
As television emerged as a major cultural and economic force, many imagined that the medium would enhance civic education for topics such as science. And, indeed, television soon offered a ...
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As television emerged as a major cultural and economic force, many imagined that the medium would enhance civic education for topics such as science. And, indeed, television soon offered a breathtaking banquet of scientific images and ideas—both factual and fictional. Mr. Wizard performed experiments with milk bottles. Viewers watched live coverage of solar eclipses and atomic bomb blasts. Television cameras followed astronauts to the moon, Carl Sagan through the Cosmos, and Jane Goodall into the jungle. Via electrons and embryos, blood testing and blasting caps, fictional Frankensteins and chatty Nobel laureates, television opened windows onto the world of science. But this book argues that what promised to be a wonderful way of presenting science to huge audiences turned out to be a disappointment. It narrates the history of science on television, from the 1940s to the turn of the twenty-first century, to demonstrate how disagreements between scientists and television executives inhibited the medium's potential to engage in meaningful science education. In addition to examining the content of shows, the author explores audience and advertiser responses, the role of news in engaging the public in science, and the making of scientific celebrities. The book establishes a new approach to grappling with the popularization of science in the television age, when the medium's ubiquity and influence shaped how science was presented and the scientific community had increasingly less control over what appeared on the air.Less
As television emerged as a major cultural and economic force, many imagined that the medium would enhance civic education for topics such as science. And, indeed, television soon offered a breathtaking banquet of scientific images and ideas—both factual and fictional. Mr. Wizard performed experiments with milk bottles. Viewers watched live coverage of solar eclipses and atomic bomb blasts. Television cameras followed astronauts to the moon, Carl Sagan through the Cosmos, and Jane Goodall into the jungle. Via electrons and embryos, blood testing and blasting caps, fictional Frankensteins and chatty Nobel laureates, television opened windows onto the world of science. But this book argues that what promised to be a wonderful way of presenting science to huge audiences turned out to be a disappointment. It narrates the history of science on television, from the 1940s to the turn of the twenty-first century, to demonstrate how disagreements between scientists and television executives inhibited the medium's potential to engage in meaningful science education. In addition to examining the content of shows, the author explores audience and advertiser responses, the role of news in engaging the public in science, and the making of scientific celebrities. The book establishes a new approach to grappling with the popularization of science in the television age, when the medium's ubiquity and influence shaped how science was presented and the scientific community had increasingly less control over what appeared on the air.
Vincent LoBrutto
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- September 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780813177083
- eISBN:
- 9780813177090
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813177083.003.0025
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
Ridley Scott was not the first director slated for The Martian, but when the star Matt Damon requested him Scott once again took on the science fiction genre. The story is a take on the classic ...
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Ridley Scott was not the first director slated for The Martian, but when the star Matt Damon requested him Scott once again took on the science fiction genre. The story is a take on the classic Robinson Crusoe tale―this time an astronaut is accidently left alone on Mars. When he learns it will be a long time before he is rescued, he farms potatoes to stay alive. The story goes back and forth from the astronaut’s self-survival actions to NASA on earth dealing with space politics and the crew’s fight to get its comrade home. The Martian presents the most realistic view to date of Mars as well as the technology and inner workings of NASA headquarters. The film was an enormous success at the box office and with critics.Less
Ridley Scott was not the first director slated for The Martian, but when the star Matt Damon requested him Scott once again took on the science fiction genre. The story is a take on the classic Robinson Crusoe tale―this time an astronaut is accidently left alone on Mars. When he learns it will be a long time before he is rescued, he farms potatoes to stay alive. The story goes back and forth from the astronaut’s self-survival actions to NASA on earth dealing with space politics and the crew’s fight to get its comrade home. The Martian presents the most realistic view to date of Mars as well as the technology and inner workings of NASA headquarters. The film was an enormous success at the box office and with critics.
Lisa Westwood, Beth Laura O’Leary, and Milford Wayne Donaldson
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780813062464
- eISBN:
- 9780813053004
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813062464.003.0006
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
“Astronaut Training Sites” provides some of the most obscure sites associated with the Apollo program, which are the astronaut training locations across the world- examples include the Meteor Crater ...
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“Astronaut Training Sites” provides some of the most obscure sites associated with the Apollo program, which are the astronaut training locations across the world- examples include the Meteor Crater in Arizona and Sierra Blanca. Field training required a number of remote locations with unique geology in order to receive instruction and practice on navigating and performing mission duties while in similar rocky, volcanic conditions. This chapter also provides an overview of how astronauts were originally selected, mainly, by Eugene Shoemaker.Less
“Astronaut Training Sites” provides some of the most obscure sites associated with the Apollo program, which are the astronaut training locations across the world- examples include the Meteor Crater in Arizona and Sierra Blanca. Field training required a number of remote locations with unique geology in order to receive instruction and practice on navigating and performing mission duties while in similar rocky, volcanic conditions. This chapter also provides an overview of how astronauts were originally selected, mainly, by Eugene Shoemaker.
James E. David
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780813049991
- eISBN:
- 9780813050430
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813049991.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
Experiments in the human spaceflight program delivered many scientific benefits, involved numerous international partners, and greatly enhanced the prestige of NASA and the United States. There were ...
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Experiments in the human spaceflight program delivered many scientific benefits, involved numerous international partners, and greatly enhanced the prestige of NASA and the United States. There were strong objections to including DoD classified experiments in Gemini, but in the end NASA flew them under a compromise that acknowledged their presence but permitted the results to be withheld. Astronaut photography was a sensitive activity. The national security community applied the remote sensing technological restrictions to the cameras and instituted both a pre-mission review of photographic plans and a post-mission review of the imagery before public release. In the first known use of classified technologies, NASA's lunar photography programs utilized cameras from several reconnaissance programs under agreements which hid their true origin and acquisition procedures. Its space-based astronomy programs received intense scrutiny because of their sophisticated optical systems. The national security community soon lifted the restrictions on what systems could be flown but insisted that certain technical details be protected. The NRO permitted the Hubble telescope to be built at a contractor's classified facility, but it is unclear whether classified manufacturing or testing processes were used. Other NRO contractors made a backup mirror and assembled the complete spacecraft. NASA utilized an NRO container to ship the completed spacecraft.Less
Experiments in the human spaceflight program delivered many scientific benefits, involved numerous international partners, and greatly enhanced the prestige of NASA and the United States. There were strong objections to including DoD classified experiments in Gemini, but in the end NASA flew them under a compromise that acknowledged their presence but permitted the results to be withheld. Astronaut photography was a sensitive activity. The national security community applied the remote sensing technological restrictions to the cameras and instituted both a pre-mission review of photographic plans and a post-mission review of the imagery before public release. In the first known use of classified technologies, NASA's lunar photography programs utilized cameras from several reconnaissance programs under agreements which hid their true origin and acquisition procedures. Its space-based astronomy programs received intense scrutiny because of their sophisticated optical systems. The national security community soon lifted the restrictions on what systems could be flown but insisted that certain technical details be protected. The NRO permitted the Hubble telescope to be built at a contractor's classified facility, but it is unclear whether classified manufacturing or testing processes were used. Other NRO contractors made a backup mirror and assembled the complete spacecraft. NASA utilized an NRO container to ship the completed spacecraft.
Claude A. Piantadosi
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231162432
- eISBN:
- 9780231531030
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231162432.003.0011
- Subject:
- Sociology, Science, Technology and Environment
This chapter focuses on the demands of travelling to Mars. It considers factors such as the psychosocial aspects of living in a tightly confined space for a long time, the cost of a new space ...
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This chapter focuses on the demands of travelling to Mars. It considers factors such as the psychosocial aspects of living in a tightly confined space for a long time, the cost of a new space transportation system, and the need to set up a working habitat on Mars some time before a crew ship actually leaves Earth. It describes the effects of microgravity on microbes. In the early days of spaceflight, Russian scientists detected microorganisms growing in strange places on their spaceships, such as in crevices in the structural materials of cabin interiors and equipment. These microbes were busily degrading the structure of spacecraft components. Microgravity has also been found to increase the virulence of bacterial pathogens such asSalmonella typhimurium, which causes gastroenteritis. The remainder of the chapter discusses the risk of gas leaks, how the age and gender of the astronaut affects the health risks of prolonged space travel, and maintaining biological clocks.Less
This chapter focuses on the demands of travelling to Mars. It considers factors such as the psychosocial aspects of living in a tightly confined space for a long time, the cost of a new space transportation system, and the need to set up a working habitat on Mars some time before a crew ship actually leaves Earth. It describes the effects of microgravity on microbes. In the early days of spaceflight, Russian scientists detected microorganisms growing in strange places on their spaceships, such as in crevices in the structural materials of cabin interiors and equipment. These microbes were busily degrading the structure of spacecraft components. Microgravity has also been found to increase the virulence of bacterial pathogens such asSalmonella typhimurium, which causes gastroenteritis. The remainder of the chapter discusses the risk of gas leaks, how the age and gender of the astronaut affects the health risks of prolonged space travel, and maintaining biological clocks.
Valerie Neal
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780300206517
- eISBN:
- 9780300227987
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300206517.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
The third chapter, “Astronauts: Reinventing the Right Stuff,” examines how the astronaut as icon embodied new meanings of spaceflight. A salient distinction of the shuttle era was the broadening, ...
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The third chapter, “Astronauts: Reinventing the Right Stuff,” examines how the astronaut as icon embodied new meanings of spaceflight. A salient distinction of the shuttle era was the broadening, diversity, and democratization of the astronaut corps through new roles and new selection criteria. The nature of the job (engineering and scientific research) contrasted with the public’s ingrained perception of astronauts as pilots, especially in the wake of the two shuttle tragedies. Two memes coexisted in a shifting balance: the astronaut as exceptional and heroic, and the astronaut as an extraordinarily capable “ordinary” person.Less
The third chapter, “Astronauts: Reinventing the Right Stuff,” examines how the astronaut as icon embodied new meanings of spaceflight. A salient distinction of the shuttle era was the broadening, diversity, and democratization of the astronaut corps through new roles and new selection criteria. The nature of the job (engineering and scientific research) contrasted with the public’s ingrained perception of astronauts as pilots, especially in the wake of the two shuttle tragedies. Two memes coexisted in a shifting balance: the astronaut as exceptional and heroic, and the astronaut as an extraordinarily capable “ordinary” person.
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9781846318344
- eISBN:
- 9781846317798
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Discontinued
- DOI:
- 10.5949/UPO9781846317798.004
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, taking the space race to a whole new level. Following the success of Apollo 11, Apollo 12 reached the moon on November 19 of ...
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On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, taking the space race to a whole new level. Following the success of Apollo 11, Apollo 12 reached the moon on November 19 of that same year. However, Apollo 13, launched in April 1970, was not as lucky due to equipment failure, signalling the end of the programme. If space travel fell out of favour with the American public in the early 1970s, it had been met with scepticism by science fiction writers since the days of Sputnik. Writers were no longer content with just seeing a man step on the moon. This chapter considers several of Barry Malzberg's novels, focusing on film and television. Malzberg's fiction explores astronauts' psyches, for example, in The Falling Astronauts (1971), Beyond Apollo (1972) and The Day of the Burning (1974).Less
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, taking the space race to a whole new level. Following the success of Apollo 11, Apollo 12 reached the moon on November 19 of that same year. However, Apollo 13, launched in April 1970, was not as lucky due to equipment failure, signalling the end of the programme. If space travel fell out of favour with the American public in the early 1970s, it had been met with scepticism by science fiction writers since the days of Sputnik. Writers were no longer content with just seeing a man step on the moon. This chapter considers several of Barry Malzberg's novels, focusing on film and television. Malzberg's fiction explores astronauts' psyches, for example, in The Falling Astronauts (1971), Beyond Apollo (1972) and The Day of the Burning (1974).
Matthew D. Tribbe
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199313525
- eISBN:
- 9780199385515
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199313525.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
The Apollo moon landing, an unprecedented historical event, was difficult to even talk about in meaningful terms. Hence, the immediate conversation about Apollo, from proponents and opponents alike, ...
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The Apollo moon landing, an unprecedented historical event, was difficult to even talk about in meaningful terms. Hence, the immediate conversation about Apollo, from proponents and opponents alike, rarely transcended platitudes that did little to capture the true importance of the event. This chapter examines the common platitudes that shaped much of the debate about Apollo in the 1960s and 1970s, and which have formed the basis of the conventional narrative of Apollo ever since. Included are analyses of commentators' attempts to link Apollo to social issues, liberal and conservative takes on the event, and the inability of the astronauts to adequately convey their experiences.Less
The Apollo moon landing, an unprecedented historical event, was difficult to even talk about in meaningful terms. Hence, the immediate conversation about Apollo, from proponents and opponents alike, rarely transcended platitudes that did little to capture the true importance of the event. This chapter examines the common platitudes that shaped much of the debate about Apollo in the 1960s and 1970s, and which have formed the basis of the conventional narrative of Apollo ever since. Included are analyses of commentators' attempts to link Apollo to social issues, liberal and conservative takes on the event, and the inability of the astronauts to adequately convey their experiences.
Erik A. W. Östling
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199315314
- eISBN:
- 9780190258245
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199315314.003.0022
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
This chapter discusses the religious creation of the Frenchman Claude Vorilhon, nowadays known as his holiness Raël. Following an alleged encounter with an extraterrestrial in 1973 he founded the ...
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This chapter discusses the religious creation of the Frenchman Claude Vorilhon, nowadays known as his holiness Raël. Following an alleged encounter with an extraterrestrial in 1973 he founded the Raëlian religion. The main tenets of his religion are the notions that humankind is the creation of a group of extraterrestrial scientists; that bodily sensuality and sexuality is something positive; that immortality can be achieved through scientific means; and that if we prove ourselves worthy and rid our world of all destructive tendencies we will inherit the knowledge of our creators and become able to continue the creative cycle by creating life elsewhere in the cosmos. The chapter also situates Raëlianism within the context of ancient astronaut theories.Less
This chapter discusses the religious creation of the Frenchman Claude Vorilhon, nowadays known as his holiness Raël. Following an alleged encounter with an extraterrestrial in 1973 he founded the Raëlian religion. The main tenets of his religion are the notions that humankind is the creation of a group of extraterrestrial scientists; that bodily sensuality and sexuality is something positive; that immortality can be achieved through scientific means; and that if we prove ourselves worthy and rid our world of all destructive tendencies we will inherit the knowledge of our creators and become able to continue the creative cycle by creating life elsewhere in the cosmos. The chapter also situates Raëlianism within the context of ancient astronaut theories.
Peter Swirski
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9781781381205
- eISBN:
- 9781781382141
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Discontinued
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9781781381205.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, European Literature
Accompanied by first-time sample translations from Lem’s first three novels: Man From Mars, The Astronauts, and The Magellan Nebula, this chapter systematically surveys the contents, themes, and ...
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Accompanied by first-time sample translations from Lem’s first three novels: Man From Mars, The Astronauts, and The Magellan Nebula, this chapter systematically surveys the contents, themes, and problematics of these virtually unknown books in an effort to bring them closer to English-speaking readers. Contextualizing their science fiction storylines and characters in terms of Stanislaw Lem’s entire oeuvre, it critically evaluates these pioneering novels in literary-stylistic as well as popular-scientific terms.Less
Accompanied by first-time sample translations from Lem’s first three novels: Man From Mars, The Astronauts, and The Magellan Nebula, this chapter systematically surveys the contents, themes, and problematics of these virtually unknown books in an effort to bring them closer to English-speaking readers. Contextualizing their science fiction storylines and characters in terms of Stanislaw Lem’s entire oeuvre, it critically evaluates these pioneering novels in literary-stylistic as well as popular-scientific terms.
