Do you recall NASA’s “Golden Era” of the 1960s and early 1970s? Were you involved in any way in these programs? This retrospective course takes you back, from the post-WWII establishment of NASA to the early suborbital flights of the one-man Mercury capsule, through the experimental Gemini flights, to the breathtaking lunar landings of the Apollo missions.
In a manner that emphasizes the historical - rather than the technical – aspects of the program, a number of questions will be asked, discussed, and answered: Why was this a national imperative? What about the sociopolitical climate of the time (e.g., Vietnam, student unrest, program funding)? How were the missions planned and why? What were the specific goals of each flight? What was learned and what unexpected challenges were faced and overcome? What roles did research universities have in NASA’s success? Who were selected as astronauts and what criteria did they need to meet? Who flew which flights and why? What societal advances resulted (directly or indirectly) from these missions?
A chronological review of flights and the rationale for mission planning will be covered, as well as astronaut selection and crew assignments. This interactive course uses PowerPoint, with videos included to enhance the historical content, and will conclude with a “What did we learn?” and “Where are they now?” summary.