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Smithsonian Virtual Program: “Space: The Final Frontier”
September 30, 2021, 6 p.m.
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As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Oklahoma History Center will offer a virtual portal to the Smithsonian program, “Space: The Final Frontier,” on Thursday, September 30, at 6 p.m. This event is free to watch on Zoom, but preregistration is required.
Whether in President John F. Kennedy’s “New Frontier” or Star Trek’s iconic opening monologue, the frontier metaphor has evoked strong reactions in ways that have been inspiring – and sometimes problematic. Dr. Margaret A. Weitekamp, chair of the Space History Department at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, will be exploring the many connections between Westerns and spaceflight through some of her favorite objects: toys. What can we learn from a Buck Rogers XZ-31 Rocket Pistol from 1934? And how does that connect to a Buzz Lightyear that NASA flew in space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery?
Inspired by the Arizona Historical Society’s Tucson exhibit, Ready to Launch: Arizona’s Place in Space, Weitekamp will use this virtual presentation as a chance to link the collections in Washington, DC, to the ones on view at the Arizona History Museum in Tucson. This program was developed in partnership with staff from the Arizona Historical Society, a Smithsonian Affiliate.
Margaret A. Weitekamp, chair of the Space History Department at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
