This 70-80 min lecture presents the fascinating history of early rocketry and subsequent developments that led to the space age. It introduces visionaries, scientists, engineers, and political and military leaders from various lands who contributed to this endeavor. The development of rocketry and spaceflight is traced from ancient times through many centuries to the breakthrough to space. The story concludes with the launches of first artificial satellites in the late 1950s. Based on an award-winning AIAA-published book.
Dr. Mike Gruntman is professor and chair of astronautics at the University of Southern California (USC). His life journey took him from a child growing up on the Tyuratam (Baikonur) missile and space launch base during the late 1950s and early 1960s to an accomplished space physicist and engineer to joining USC in 1990 and founding a major educational program in space engineering. Today it is a nationally recognized unique astronautical engineering department at USC.
Mike is actively involved in R&D programs in space science and space technology. He served as a co-investigator (Co-I) on NASA missions and is a recipient of three NASA Group Achievement Awards. Mike has authored and co-authored 300 scholarly publications, including four books. His “Blazing the Trail: The Early History of Spacecraft and Rocketry” (AIAA, 2004) won the International Academy of Astronautics’ book award. More than two thousand graduate students took Dr. Gruntman’s courses in space systems and rocket propulsion at USC. He also teaches short courses (AIAA and ATI) for government and industry.
Directions: Borrelli’s Restaurant is on the south side of Hempstead Turnpike, between the Meadowbrook Parkway Exit M5 (Hempstead Turnpike) and Merrick Avenue.