Remembering the Space Age – 50th Anniversary of the Space Age Call for Papers

The NASA History Division and the National Air and Space Museum History Division issue a call for papers for a conference on the 50th anniversary of the Space Age, to be held in Washington D.C. October 21-22, 2007 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary meeting of the Society for the History of Technology. The conference is titled “Remembering the Space Age,” and encompasses two main themes:

1) National and Global Dimensions of the Space Age. Has the Space Age fostered a new global identity, or has it reinforced distinct national identities? How does space history connect with national histories and with the histories of transnational or global phenomena such as the Cold War or the rise of global markets or global satellite communications?

2) Remembrance and Cultural Representation of the Space Age. How is the historical record of the Space Age collected, preserved, displayed, and interpreted around the world, especially in the US, Russia, the European Union, Canada, and China? What purpose do space museums serve and what message do they convey? How accessible are space archives? How do the “official” versions of events square with the document trail and with eyewitness accounts? How has the Space Age been represented in the arts, the media, the movies, in propaganda discourse, and so on?

Please send all proposals, in the form of a 300 word abstract and a brief vita, to Dr. Steven J. Dick NASA Chief Historian, at steven.j.dick@nasa.gov. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2006.

Dr. Steven J. Dick
NASA Chief Historian
Director, NASA History Division
Office of External Relations
NASA Headquarters
300 E Street SW
Washington, D.C. 20546-0001