University of Nebraska Press

Author Francis French Honored for Contribution to Aerospace Education

Francis French, co-author of two titles in UNP’s acclaimed Outward Odyssey series, received San Diego’s “Outstanding Contribution to Aerospace Education” award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in a special ceremony on May 22, 2008. According to the press release issued by the San Diego Air & Space Museum, French was honored for his work heading the Museum’s education efforts to interest and engage a new generation of audiences in science, technology and engineering, as well as his prior work in science education at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, Sally Ride Science, and his popular science books Into That Silent Sea and In the Shadow of the Moon.

“We’ve been delighted to have Francis spearheading our efforts to make our Museum and programs even more appealing and accessible to general audiences, and giving students and family audiences an even greater range of exciting, relevant and hands-on experiences in science, history, engineering and technology,” said Jim Kidrick, Museum President and CEO.

The San Diego Air & Space Museum is California’s Official Air & Space Museum and Education Center. The Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and it was the first aero-themed Museum to be accredited by the American Association of Museums. The Museum is located at 2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park, San Diego, 92101.

Tuesday Trivia: June 3, 2008

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is In the Shadow of the Moon by Francis French and Colin Burgess.  This stirring tale of the most innovative years in space evolution, including the power play between the former Soviet Union and the United States, is solidified by the first person accounts of scientists, astronauts, family members and recently uncovered government documents. This week, Tuesday Trivia will be taking a closer, albeit not as authoritative, look at space and all its intricacies.

Ready bloggers? Then in 5,4,3,2,1….

1. Sputnik was put on the moon by the Soviet Union on what day?

2. Suyuz is a series of Spacecraft created for the Soviet Union by whom?

3. What was the name of the lunar module accompanied by Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin on the moon’s surface.

4. True or False: Las Vegas is the brightest man-made place seen from space?

5.The  first animal to be sent into space was a:
A. Dog
B. Cat
C. Mouse

6. It has recently come to light, due to declassified documents, that which two government agencies were linked during this time?

7. True or False: Golf is the only sport to have been played on the moon.

8. My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas: This phrase represents which planets?

9. All the planets in the solar system would (comfortably?) fit into which of the 9 planets?

10. If the sun stopped shinning, humans on Earth would take how long to notice?

Well bloggers, think you aced it? Check back tomorrow for the answers!

This Week in History: May 12-16, 2008

Space, and Cowboys and, pioneers, Oh my! This weeks installment of TWIH is guaranteed to make you smile, laugh, cringe a bit (Ooh,  the Donner party) and perhaps make you cry as we remember the Virginia Tech shooting done this week, last year. Yet we all know the cathartic power of emotional upheaval, so if you’re ready to start this sentimental soirée we can begin…

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY:

April 12, 1961: Yuri Gagarin was the first human to travel into outer space in the Vostok 3JA-2.
Are you a space enthusiast?  I’m more of a stare at the big dipper kind of girl, but even I was swept away by the tales of mankind’s attempts to leave earth behind.  If this interests you at all, check out To a Distant Day: The Rocket Pioneers by Chris Gainor. 

April 13, 1866: American Outlaw Butch Cassidy was born.
There is no greater American hero than the cowboy. Good or bad, history has immortalized them in film and fiction. Curious as to what a modern day cowboy is busy doing? If so, than check out the Nebraska Cowboy Trail by Keith Terry and see if you have what it takes to well….. not follow in the footsteps of Butch Cassidy.  Maybe try The Lone Ranger?

April 14, 1846: The Donner Party of pioneers departs from Springfield, Illinois for California on their infamous year long journey.
Sustainable agriculture has been a huge issue in our modern day. The decline of family farms, rural communities and even the onslaught of Global Warming have resulted in adverse poverty all over the world. So by taking a look at the Donner Party, and their unfortunate demise, let’s see how we can avoid all manners of desperate acts by checking out Crisis and Opportunity by John E. Ikerd.

April 15, 1912: “God himself couldn’t sink this ship.”  Or could he….The RMS Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg.
Read about another tragic arctic experience with Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition to Antarctic. The journey that ended with the death of him and his entire crew has many similar themes as the Titanic; such as unfortunate circumstance, or faulty planning? Find out more when you check out  Pilgrims on the Ice, by T.H. Baughman

April 16, 2007: Last year Seung- Hui Cho killed 32 people in deadliest shooting by a single gunman in all of U.S. History.
There is no link to the University of Nebraska Press for this event, all that we ask is a simple recognition for the lives lost, and the lives changed. To read a transcript of Professor Nikki Giovanni moving speech “We are Virginia Tech” then click here.

That’s it for today bloggers, we’ll see you next week for reviews, a little Tuesday Trivia, some Linking in Lincoln, and another escape into the past with This Week in History!!

New Series Announcement!

   

More Praise for To a Distant Day

To a Distant Day: The Rocket Pioneers by Chris Gainor

“Let us hope for as good a companion volume taking the story to the shuttle and space-station era and the emergence of space powers other than Russia and the U.S.”—Roland Green, Booklist

Read earlier praise for To a Distant Day by visiting http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2008/02/praise-for-to-a.html.

Reviewers "Over the Moon" for In the Shadow of the Moon

In the Shadow of the Moon: A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969 by Francis French and Colin Burgess

“The writers have gone beyond old Soviet propaganda to tell the untold stories of heroic cosmonauts through new and recent interviews. This volume captures the anxiety and haste shown by both nations at the height of the space race . . . . This series will be read by future generations when they want the complete perspectives of the original generation of space explorers.”—Space Times

For earlier praise for In the Shadow of the Moon, go to http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2007/07/praise-for-in-t.html.

More Praise for In the Shadow of the Moon

In the Shadow of the Moon: A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969 by Francis French and Colin Burgess

“French and Burgess present a first-rate, detailed, and very personal account of the space race to the moon . . . . [S]trongly recommended both as a study of the social interactions among this unique group of people and as a gripping series of anecdotes that describe the exciting, dangerous steps behind the successful moon landing.”—CHOICE

To read earlier praise for In the Shadow of the Moon, please visit http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2007/07/praise-for-in-t.html.

Praise for To a Distant Day

To a Distant Day: The Rocket Pioneers by Chris Gainor, foreword by Alfred Worden

“A detailed, deftly written history that should appeal to all would-be rocketeers, whether launching from fields on weekend afternoons or just dreaming of space in a comfortable chair.”—Publishers Weekly

“Let us hope for as good a companion volume taking the story to the shuttle and space-station era and the emergence of space powers other than Russia and the U.S.”—Roland Green, Booklist

"In the Shadow of the Moon" at the Ross Media Arts Center

Looking for an entertaining and enlightening cinematic experience? Look no further than In the Shadow of the Moon, a documentary featuring first-hand accounts of each of the Apollo lunar missions from the astronauts who took part in these monumental space flights. For our local blog readers, note that the film will continue its run at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln's Ross Media Arts Center through this Thursday, November 8th. For more information, including show times, visit the Ross Center Web site at http://theross.org/.

The film has been compared favorably to its literary counterpart, In the Shadow of the Moon: A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969 by Francis French and Colin Burgess (University of Nebraska Press, 2007). In the Shadow of the Moon tells the story of the most exciting and challenging years in spaceflight, when two superpowers engaged in a titanic struggle to land one of their own people on the moon. Much like the film, the book focuses not only on the scientific and political implications of the missions, but also on the personalities and experiences of the participating astronauts—the select few whose driving ambition was to fly to the moon.         

Whether you'd rather spend a night out at the movies or a night in curled up with a good book, you can't go wrong with In the Shadow of the Moon. Whichever you choose, buckle up and prepare yourself for a rollicking ride through space! 

It's Almost Friday, so Click Your Thursday Away

First off, fellow Thursday clickers, I can honestly say that it won't be such a random click week.  If you haven't heard it on the news shows, in the papers and zines, you may have heard about Sputnik's fiftieth anniversary from Google's little depiction of the first man-made and launched satellite today. I would draw you a picture of the spherical object myself, but I wouldn't want to blind you with my stunning artistic abilities.

Secondly, and for your first direct link this historical Thursday, I'm proud to announce that the University of Nebraska Press is having an October web sale celebrating the launch of the Space Race and the launch of our new website (woo-hoo!), so rocket on over.

Now, for all things Sputnik:

Visit NASA today.  In fact, visit NASA everyday. It's truly a great site.  For a quicker foray into the history of Sputnik, read the article "50 Years On, Sputnik Success Still Shines" on Cosmos: The Science of Everything's website.

A lot of quotes from the event-- including the quote, "[Sputnik is] a hunk of iron almost anybody could launch" by US Rear Admiral Rawson Bennett-- can be found on Physorg.com's Space and Earth Science section.

On SpaceDaily, there is an article entitled, "50 Years after Sputnik, Russia Revives Space Ambitions."  You may recall that Russia's space program was diminished after the fall of the Soviet Union.  Six years ago, the  Russian space station Mir closed due to funding. This short article addresses some of these issues and the future of Russia's space program.

Lastly, Hillary Clinton is using the anniversary as an opportunity to discuss an agenda she has for science in our country. 

Enjoy the rest of your Thursday and keep looking to the stars, or the satellites, or something.