|
My husband was a teacher for 32 years in Joplin, Missouri and created a website over 15 years to document his classes, his adventures, and research. He has many posts about things related to space exploration. These posts have been recreated from his website, I strongly encourage you to take some time and browse his website. 8-8-2022The USA wins the race to space and finally fulfills President John Kennedy's promise to put a man on the moon in "this decade" (the 1960s). Kennedy, of course, was assassinated before John Glenn and Buzz Aldrin put their prints in the lunar sand in 1969. It is one of my first memories. My love of history attracted me to the object pictured below (bottom left). Is is a section of the Wright Brother's first airplane. The astronauts carried this symbol of their achievement to the moon and back, demonstrating an obvious appreciation for the history that got them where they were. Another shocking display is the Apollo 13 capsule, Jim Lovell's space suit from the same flight, and other objects from the flight that brought two phrases into popular culture: "Houston, we have a problem," and "Failure is not an option" (more on this in a future writing).
After this visit to Cosmosphere, we have many hours of movies and documentaries to rewatch, if not for any other reason except to shout out when we see images of the artifacts we saw in the museum. My husband was a teacher for 32 years in Joplin, Missouri and created a website over 15 years to document his classes, his adventures, and research. He has many posts about things related to space exploration. These posts have been recreated from his website, I strongly encourage you to take some time and browse his website. 8-8-2020If what I say is true - history is ugly - then the first gallery we entered at Cosmosphere was a testament to that ugliness. This was the German gallery, displaying the time when Nazi Germany advanced rocketry and weaponry at an alarming rate. Cosmosphere houses one of the only complete sets of the V-1 and V-2 rockets in the world. The compelling pieces were the contextual panels that explained how the V-1 and V-2 were developed separately, in competition with one another. One came about faster than the other, and at a lower budget, due to the use of concentration camp prisoners who, under deplorable treatment and living conditions, were forced to do the dirty work of Hitler's force. The swastikas displayed on the rockets and in a nearby flag are chilling. Thankfully, they were displayed as a part of the historical context and not out of pride for the philosophy for which they stand.
My husband was a teacher for 32 years in Joplin, Missouri and created a website over 15 years to document his classes, his adventures, and research. He has many posts about things related to space exploration. These posts have been recreated from his website, I strongly encourage you to take some time and browse his website. 8-15-2020The race was on! The United States and the Soviet Union were in a race to be the first in everything space-related. The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, has an extensive collection of artifacts documenting the Space Race. In fact, here is the most complete collection of Soviet artifacts outside of Russian itself. Here is a flight-ready backup of the first artificial satellite to successfully orbit the earth. Since Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev did not have access to Sputnik to show people, he had a scale model to with which he could demonstrate the satellite: this is also on display. The USSR also beat the United States in getting the first living creature into space. The living creature, Laika, was a dog who fit into the Sputnik II. Laika is also the only living thing from earth that has ever died in space, having overheated during her fourth orbit. Luna II is the first manmade item to impact the moon. This baseball-sized sphere gave the USSR yet another first in the race to putting a man on the moon. Clearly the Soviets were winning the contest. The item on display at the Cosmosphere is one of only five that were made. Enos was the United States' entry into getting a living creature into space. A trained chimpanzee was placed into the Mercury-Atlas 5 and launched. The difference between Laika and Enos, however, is that Enos made it back to earth alive. Sections of the German Wall, representing an ultimate division between the two superpowers of the day, are located at Cosmosphere. This room in the museum helped include broader historical context to the space race. That division kept the superpowers divided symbolically in Germany, but in reality the separation was made starker with every success. The Soviets lunged ahead again by launching the first man into orbit. This was Yuri Gagarin's only venture into the final frontier, but it forever launched him into the history books. Not only are Gagarin's space suit and helmet displayed at the Cosmosphere, but the very vehicle he rode in is also behind the glass. Other Soviet citizens traveled in Vostok pods, having to parachute to earth, separate from their vehicle, after reentry. These include the first woman in space, who did not know that she was pregnant at the time. My husband was a teacher for 32 years in Joplin, Missouri and created a website over 15 years to document his classes, his adventures, and research. He has many posts about things related to space exploration. These posts have been recreated from his website, I strongly encourage you to take some time and browse his website. 8-1-2020In our July visit to Hutchinson, Kansas, we learned about the ultimate social distancing. While the floor at the box office told us to wait "one small step" away from the people in front of us, I couldn't help but imagine how people have yearned to break the bonds of earth altogether. Cosmosphere is an unexpected treasure in the Kansas prairie. We all expect to see rocket and space history in Houston, Huntsville, and Cape Kennedy, very few would expect it in Hutchinson. In fact the building is off the highway, on a side street past a couple of convenience stores and a city park. When a visitor enters the lobby at Cosmosphere, he is immediately faced with the SR-71A Blackbird and the T-38 Falcon hanging overhead. Gus Grissom's Liberty Bell capsule is also on display here, recovered from the ocean floor after it, infamously, sank shortly after splashdown. Models of a lunar surveyor, the Mars Rover, and a lunar module are also visible from the rotunda. We would soon enter the galleries with our tickets. My wife would want to read every display thoroughly, having always possessed a love of space travel, while I just wanted to see real things. While I would read highlights, the greatest distraction was my desire to see the real items, the flown items. I was less interested in models and replicas. Soon I would be immersed in the history of many such items, and surprisingly other world history intertwined with the sciences involved in space travel. I will share more photos on our website in coming days
My husband was a teacher for 32 years in Joplin, Missouri and created a website over 15 years to document his classes, his adventures, and research. He has many posts about things related to space exploration. These posts have been recreated from his website, I strongly encourage you to take some time and browse his website. 6-23-2021
I was especially interested in the Mummies exhibit, but the upcharge for it was around $20 per person. Unfortunately, we had to decide to save the money for gasoline instead. Still we got to see the items in the photos below, including the mummified remains of a young child. It is an odd feeling to be so intrigued by an actual body lying on display before you, but at the same time, such is curiosity.6-23-2021  The rest of the museum needs to be more hands-on for the kids. While they attempt to encourage interaction with the information presented, it is usually displayed with too much text or at a level that might attract college students in certain fields of study.  A planetarium show is always a welcome sight and a chance to rest your feet for a while. This one took a look at the current night sky over St. Louis.  Finally, the museum attempts to appeal to children using the lure of dinosaurs. Again, however, they miss the mark and try to be too highbrowed. The whole area is also a little one-sided in the evolution debate.  Keep in mind that the museum is free, so it still might be worth a visit if a family has the time. If not, I suggest there are other interests in the St. Louis area that would be more worthy of your efforts.
My husband was a teacher for 32 years in Joplin, Missouri and created a website over 15 years to document his classes, his adventures, and research. He has many posts about things related to space exploration. These posts have been recreated from his website, I strongly encourage you to take some time and browse his website. 4-1-2024
GENESIS 1:1-10 Apollo 8 entered orbit around the earth on December 24, 1968. During that "evening", three astronauts spoke to Americans on live television. During their broadcast, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders showed viewers images of the earth and the moon from their position in outer space. At that moment, it was the largest audience for a television program in history. They knew it would be. When Frank Borman received a call from a NASA official, he was informed that "...[M]ore people will be listening to your voice than that of any man in history, so we want you to say something appropriate.” Important? What would be an appropriate message for that very specific occasion? While looking out the windows of the vessel, the three astronauts took turns reading from Genesis. William Anders: We are now approaching lunar sunrise and, for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you. ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.’ Jim Lovell: ’And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.’ Frank Borman: ’And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.’ And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth. Among other appropriate songs for us to sing at this time are How Great Thou Art and I Sing the Mighty Power of God".  Some interesting information from Genesis 1:6-8 include these: We understand the importance of water to survival, but we may not think much of its importance in the process of creation. This is true in ancient literature from the Near East, as well. The Egyptian god, Ptah was said to have played a role in creation, supposedly using water that already existed to create the universe. A consideration of the Mesopotamian point of view that the gods Apsu, Tiamat, and Mummu were responsible for stirring watery chaos in the process of creation. But water is not god, and in there are not multiple gods who fought. Instead, a single God (capital G) created everything with calculated purpose. In verse eight, a translation may use the word sky for heaven. The Hebrew term is shamayim, referring to heaven or heavens. It may be difficult to find an English word to portray the exact meaning of this term, but in context, it refers to what we see above us. It is the region of our visible creation that includes the sun and moon, as well as birds and clouds. GENESIS 1:11-24 God is sovereign and does not need to battle anyone to create the universe. In Genesis 1:21, He creates "sea creatures", but they are never in rebellion with God. They are not, for example, the dragon portrayed in Canaanite literature (known as Baal). GENESIS 1:25-31 What does it mean to be created in God’s image (1:26)? GENESIS 2:1-3 Where was Garden of Eden? (around modern Bagdad) Says the Iraq Museum International: Though we may not at first perceive it, the past and the present do not exist in sealed compartments, separated from each other by some artificial and impermeable barrier. Instead, time is fluid: the past can spill into the present in the form of memory, and the present can pour back into the past seeking guidance. But, as it washes over that past, the present can also erase its outlines or even willfully destroy its foundations. The stunning looting of the Baghdad Museum and the repeated rape of archaeological sites throughout Iraq offer ample proof of the latter, for what is stolen is not just so much merchandise for sale, but an entire people’s collective memory, a priceless substance they desperately need to protect them, for a civilized people’s heritage is its best armor against the assaults of barbarism. While Genesis tells of a single, benevolent deity making creative steps that ultimately result in the creation of humans, the Babylonian Epic of Creation tells of a heaven populated by sadistic, vengeful gods (little g) who fight with each other for the mastery of the universe. This latter account makes man out to be just one more bullet point in a list of created beings. What does it mean to say God rested (2:2)? (See Exodus 20:8-11) GENESIS 2:4-17 What is significance of the fact that a mist went up from earth and watered whole face of ground (2:6)? What are 2 trees of special significance mentioned in Genesis 2:9? Explain purpose of trees. We could sing Before Jehovah's Awful Throne at this point.
GENESIS 2:18-20 Genesis 2:18 presents a blunt Genesis 1:31. God brings animals to Adam, but none of these is fit for man. What is God looking for? A Hebrew word helps here: 'ezer. We sing a song that highlights that word within the word Ebenezer, which means "stone of help". The word means helper, the one who supplies strength an area that is lacking. Never does the term imply that the helper is either stronger or weaker than the one helped (in this case, Adam). “Fit for him” or “matching him” is also not the same as “like him”. The connection of note is that the wife is not her husband’s clone but complements him (That's complements, not compliments, though compliments are nice, too). GENESIS 2:21-25 Adam speaks his first recorded words (NASB):
Can you think of any human relationship that is closer (or should be closer) than that of a man and a woman in marriage? All kinds of points can be made from these verses in regards to current cultural trends. What are some of those points? I wonder why God chose not to make man and woman simultaneously. Any ideas?
Concluding Questions How aware are you of the created world in your everyday life? What is your first impression of God? What should your response be to Creator (See Romans 1:20-25; Hebrews 11:1-3)? My husband was a teacher for 32 years in Joplin, Missouri and created a website over 15 years to document his classes, his adventures, and research. He has many posts about things related to space exploration. These posts have been recreated from his website, I strongly encourage you to take some time and browse his website. 12-4-2019
Do you remember when Artemis I launched? Were you paying attention? I was, and I wasn't. The post below is taken from my husband's website, when he was paying attention. 9/2/2022If all goes as planned, Artemis I, NASA's human-rated rocket to beyond the moon, will launch before noon, today. The first video (below left) gives an understandable explanation of the mission and its many parts. The second video tells lots of overwhelming numbers to explain more of the details. One of the mission stats is that this vehicle contains parts from each of the 50 states. In our own area, batteries are engineered and manufactured at Eagle Picher Technologies. Historically speaking it was the creative use of Eagle Picher batteries that saved Apollo 13. Our prayers are with all of the folks at NASA in hopes that the launch and the mission are successful and that our scientists and engineers will learn from everything that happens.
One of my best friends from high school is the Thermal Lead for the Solid Rocket Booster. In layman's terms, he ensures the exterior of the Booster stays within its temperature limits during ascent. Now, I'm not actually sure what one does if the thing gets too hot, especially since those solid boosters are only active for a couple of minutes. It's going to take somebody more qualified than I am, and I guess that's why Darrell is on the job. He has been with NASA for several years, and he is one of the smartest people I know. Just to think that he graduated with me. That his birthday is just three days after mine. That he comes from the same small-town (population: 7348). And that he successfully climbed the engineering ladder in his dream job From the Archives (May 18, 1982) This is truly momentous as Darrell and another peer, Jimmy Campbell, appeared on page one of the very first issue of the small-town newspaper, the Tuttlelite. I launched (Pardon the pun.) and operated the newspaper during the summer before our senior year at Tuttle High School. Produced before computers would assist in the typesetting and layout, the newspaper was typed on a typewriter and glued down to large pieces of paper with light blue lines before being delivered to the printing press in nearby El Reno, Oklahoma (And yes, there were typographical errors: one glaring one can be seen in the caption below the photo, another in the headline itself.). How cool is it, though, that my paper was the first to document Darrell's experience with NASA, only to see his work showcased, today, in the international news story of Artemis I and the United States' reentry into moon exploration (and beyond).  Are you interested in some "Space Music"? If so, check my growing list of music related to space, the heavens, stars, the planets, and the cosmos. Do you know a song that isn't listed, let me know and I will add it.   After a few weeks of collaborative working on a mission patch, we were able to finish the design just in time for our trip to Dallas. Items included in our patch are:
|
RSS Feed
