ride your imagination to space – by nalaka gunawardene
TRANSCRIPT
Ride Your
Imagination to Space!
By Nalaka Gunawardenehttp://nalakagunawardene.com
Talk given to ORBIT 15Annual Astronomical Event
Astronomy & Space Science Association D S Senanayake College, Col 7, Sri Lanka
12 March 2015
We start with a Quiz!Question 1
Where exactly does the upper atmosphere end
and (near) space begin? What definition is used
Internationally? 50 km above Earth? 80 km above Earth? 100 km above Earth? 500 km above Earth?
Answer 1:Threshold of ‘space’: 2 definitions! Fédération Aéronautique
Internationale (FAI) or World Air Sports Federation (HQ: Lausanne, Switzerland) definition: 100 km
United States Air Force: 80 km
FAI definition is globally used.
Question 2How many have been to space?
First human to go to space was Yuri Gagarin of
the former USSR, on 12 April 1961. Since then, up to
Nov 2013, people from 38 countries have gone to space.
How many total (men+women) have been to space
(using FAI definition of 100km+)? 225 persons? 536 persons? 849 persons? More than 1,000?
These ones not counted…But they too helped inspire!
Answer 2How many have been to space?
225 persons 536 persons 849 persons More than 1,000
How to Ride Our
Imagination to Space?
Remember his wise words…
Where knowledge & Imagination come together…
…we get Science Fiction!This is the way
Imagination & Space Travel:very closely linked…
“When Neil Armstrong stepped out on to the Sea of Tranquillity (on the Moon) on July 20, 1969, the science fiction writers had already been there for 2,000 years…”
- Arthur C Clarke
After Apollo:
Arthur C Clarke (left) and Neil Armstrong
Science Fiction: Fountain of Imagination 4 Space Exploration!
SF stories of travelling to near and far space, alien words & beings…
Reading them inspired many astronauts, engineers and others working in space programmes of USA, Russia, Europe and elsewhere
Some space agencies now study science fiction for bright new ideas!
Imagination to Reality:A long journey through centuries…
Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519)
Jules Verne (1828 -1905)
Jules Verne:Vivid Imagination! Flying machines Submarines Spacecraft Trips to the Moon Ocean exploration Polar exploration Video conferencing So much more!
Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) 1902 French film by Georges Melies
Science fiction in Pulp Magazines: 1900 - 1950
Science fiction in Pulp Magazines: 1900 - 1950
Printed on low quality paper, sold cheap Many genres: detective, Western,
romance, adventure, etc. Initially, SF carried in general pulp mags 1920s: Rise of all-SF magazines Pre-TV, post-WW1, Depression eras:
these provided plenty of hope & escapism for many Americans
Also served as ‘Launch pads’ for many writers and & illustrators
Arthur C Clarke:Imagination + Knowledge + Foresight Born: 16 Dec 1917 in
Minehead, England Eldest in rural family of 4
kids, raised by a widow Grew up on family farm Deep interest in science,
literature, movies, space Discovered science fiction
at 13 years
Arthur C Clarke (aged 13):First Encounter with Science Fiction
“I must have seen Amazing Stories for November 1928 about a year after it had been shipped across to England- so rumor has it, as ship’s “ballast”- and sold at Woolworth’s for 3p. How I used to haunt that once-famous store during my lunch hour, in search of issues of Amazing, Wonder, and Astounding, buried like jewels in the junk-pile of detective and western pulps!”- Arthur C Clarke
Farm boy Arthur Clarke reads books while cooling off in the Summer…
“I was hooked on science fiction by the fantastic tales that appeared in the ‘pulp’ magazines of the early Twentieth Century, and it was in that genre that I acquired my writing skills in the 1930s and 1940s.”
Young Clarke as rocket-builder…
1920s & 1930s: growing up doing small rocket experiments on family farm
Mother allowed experiments – but urged them to be careful with fireworks!
Robert H Goddard (1882-1945):American Rocket Pioneer
Physicist, engineer, inventor Designed and built world’s
first liquid-fueled rocket 1st launch: March 1926 1926-41: He & team launched
34 rockets Held 214 patented inventions Ridiculed by press at the time His work later helped NASA to
build US Space Program
British Interplanetary Society (BIS)Early promoters of space travel
Founded in 1933 in Liverpool, UK by Philip E Cleator
Starry-eyes young people! Networked space enthusiasts in
UK & Europe in 1930s, 1940s Did studies, events, experiments Oldest space advocacy
organisation in the world today Remains a non-profit entity &
membership organisation
www.bis-space.com
British Interplanetary Society members on 17
July 1938 with a visiting guest speaker
SF fans come together for first time…
Delegates to world's first science fiction convention - Jan 1937In Leeds, England (young Arthur C Clarke is second from left!)
2014 BIS presentation by Bob Parkinson & Alistair Scott http://www.slideshare.net/UKSEDS/bi-simagination-torealityads1302-37369088
2014 BIS presentation by Bob Parkinson & Alistair Scott http://www.slideshare.net/UKSEDS/bi-simagination-torealityads1302-37369088
2014 BIS presentation by Bob Parkinson & Alistair Scott http://www.slideshare.net/UKSEDS/bi-simagination-torealityads1302-37369088
2014 BIS presentation by Bob Parkinson & Alistair Scott http://www.slideshare.net/UKSEDS/bi-simagination-torealityads1302-37369088
Nalaka Gunawardene at BIS Headquarters in London, December 2010
BIS: From imagination to reality…
1950s & 1960s… Govts become interested in
space exploration Start investing in research,
experiments; set up National space agencies
Great Space Race: USSR vs USA to reach the Moon – and beyond
1960s: Science Fiction as path-finder:Value of international cooperation!
Star Trek: Going boldy where no one has gone before…
Original season ran on US Network TV in 1966-68 (79 eps)
Set in 23rd Century: humans collaborate to explore space, meet alien civilisations
American, Russian, Chinese & other nationals serving together on United Star Ship Enterprise
Women hold significant technical positions (uncommon at the time)
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP)US-USSR join hands in space: July 1975
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo-soyuz/
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP)July 1975
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo-soyuz/
Islands in the Sky (1952)by Arthur C Clarke
Science fiction novel for young readers
First published 1952 5 YEARS before Space
Age dawned (in 1957) Imagined a young boy
living and working in an orbital space station in 21st Century
Quiz Kid wins a trip to Space! Roy Malcolm, 16, knows all about history
of aviation Wins final of Aviation Quiz Programme on
TV, sponsored by World Airways, Inc. Top prize: all expenses paid trip to “any
part of the Earth” Roy asks for a trip to Inner Space Station
(considered part of Earth because its orbit lies under 1,000km limit of earth’s legal territory, as agreed in late 20th Cent)
Wins argument with World Airways!
Clarke’s vision of future humanity working in space (written in 1953)
“Perhaps the artificial worlds (space stations) we have created will become as important as the original, natural planets. These worlds may develop their own climate, food-producing areas, and specialized activities. Possibly, a thousand years from now, only a small proportion of the human race will live upon the earth, and the sun’s family may be much larger than it is today…”
2001: A Space Odyssey (released 1968)by Stanley Kubrick & Arthur C Clarke
Space station serving as hub 4 flights to Moon & back in 2001
International Space Station (ISS) 2015 Russian, US, Japanese, Canadian & European modules
1970s: NASA develops Space Shuttle After Apollo, NASA worked on
reusable spacecraft space shuttle Building first shuttle began in 1974 Science fiction fans campaigned for it
to be named Enterprise (after StarTrek’s spaceship)
NASA agreed…and invited Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry & the cast to Space Shuttle Enterprise roll-out ceremony 17 Sep 1976
Unveiling first (experimental) space shuttle Enterprise, named after StarTrek’s spacecraft, in 1976
RIP Leonard NimoyLong Live Mr Spock of Star Trek…
NASA tweet on 27 Feb 2015
Space agencies studying Science Fiction for ideas + inspiration!
Science Fiction for Space Applications: ESA Study in 2001
European Space Agency (ESA) study, edited by David Raitt, pub June 2001
Explored popular & classical science fiction in English & other languages
Looking for ideas that can be pursued by further research
Read full report online:
http://www.esa.int/esapub/br/br17
6/br176.pdf
Science Fiction for Space Applications: ESA Study
Sections/chapters: Propulsion Techniques Colonization of Space Energy & Power Computer & Communications Robotics & Cyborgs Launch Systems Resources and Materials Other technologies
Sri Lanka from Space…
First image of India and Sri Lanka from space – by NASA’s Gemini XI astronauts in 1966
Who might become Sri Lanka’s First Astronaut?
Sri Lanka stamp marking 50th anniversary of Gagarin’s space flight. Issued on 26 April 2011www.muddara.com/uncategorized/first-human-in-space-uri-gagarin/
Sri Lanka stamps honouring Clarke: issued in Feb 1998
Read my Sinhala book on Arthur Clarke’s childhood years…
Suratha Publishers, 2014.120 pages; 74 Images; Rs 600/=Available atLeading book stores in Sri Lanka
Tharu Atharata Giya Daruwa: Details at: http://nalakagunawardene.com/books/
How to celebrate genius and imagination of Arthur C Clarke?
Monuments of brick and mortar -- or even of steel and silicon – are superfluous for a writer who stretched the minds of millions…
Naming roads or satellites after him cannot capture the spirit and energy of this visionary!
So what can Sri Lanka do to promote Clarke’s legacy?
Imagine and innovate to honour Sir Arthur C Clarke!
“Sri Lanka should go for the 'grand prize': nurturing among its youth the intellectual, cultural and creative attributes that made Arthur C Clarke what he was. In other words, we must identify and groom the budding Arthur Clarkes of the 21st century!”- Nalaka Gunawardene, writing in Groundviews.org in March 2009
http://groundviews.org/2009/03/19/to-honour-sir-arthur-c-clarke-nurture-imagination-and-innovation/
The making of Arthur C Clarke: what was that magic mix?
The legacy continues…Studying roots of human imagination!
University of California San Diego launched this multi-disciplinary centre in 2013http://imagination.ucsd.edu
That’s it, folks! Thank youEmail:
Blog:
http://nalakagunawardene.com
Twitter: @NalakaG
This is a non-commercial educational presentation.
Content maybe downloaded and shared.
All photos used in good faith. Many have come from NASA,
Arthur C Clarke Estate and British Interplanetary Society