Guest Blog

This is a guest blog written by a supporter of our project. He was a Director at the St Louis Planetarium and Science Center. He has kindly agreed to get involved with the Southwest Missouri Planetariuma  and Science Center project.


Inspiration

I grew up during the ‘60s. I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights
movement, and The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. I also remember black and white television, the Cardinals
beating the Yankees in the World Series, and gas at $0.31 a gallon. But more than anything, I remember
the “Space Race” during the Cold War.
Fueled by the Soviet Union’s successful launch of Sputnik and the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin,
Americans were suddenly hit with the realization that the Soviets were leaving us in their technological
wake. Not only were we falling behind, but speculation was building that Soviet bombs could be
delivered to US cities by rockets from outer-space. There was no defense against such an attack.
Another childhood memory of mine is air raid drills in elementary school. We would all practice
squatting under our desks as if that would be of any help.
After Alan Shepard became the first American astronaut with his suborbital flight, President Kennedy
spoke before Congress and laid out his plan: “this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal,
before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” This
was a bold gesture considering that Shepard was the only experience we had in manned space flight. A
grand total of 15 minutes and 28 seconds. Nevertheless, the race to the moon was on.
There was a certain local pride in this as well. Growing up in St. Louis, the Mercury capsules were being
built by McDonnell Aircraft right there at Lambert Field. Eventually Mercury gave way to Gemini, then
Apollo, and ultimately Neil Armstrong’s “one small step”. It’s amazing to think that more than 40 years
ago, we escaped Earth’s gravitational bonds and for the first time in human history set foot on another
celestial body while relying on nothing more than slide rules, coffee, and cigarettes.
There was a major change in American culture happening at that time as a direct result of the space
race: the country was consumed and fascinated by space travel. The stars were within our grasp and
nothing was going to stop our pursuit. This resulted in an employment shift to a growth in the fields
of engineering and technology. It was a race to the moon and American colleges and universities were
producing scientists and engineers in unprecedented numbers.
Unfortunately, we no longer lead the world in this distinction. According to a recent Business Week
article, “the U.S. graduates only 70,000 engineers a year, and enrollment in engineering schools is
declining fast. India, meanwhile, turns out 350,000 engineers annually, while Chinese universities
produce 600,000, by some estimates.” Some may question these numbers, but one fact is indisputable:
public interest and support of US space exploration has diminished substantially. And with the end of
the Space Shuttle program, it’s only getting worse.
I studied astronomy because I was inspired by the space race. I was fascinated by the Apollo missions
to the moon and I knew space science was the future. But, where will today’s children find their
inspiration for science? How can we bring the wonder and beauty of the universe to our students and
help them prepare for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics?
Many people would suggest that expanding the school curriculum to include more space science
and astronomy education is the answer. Yet, a lecture and text book pale in comparison to a visual
experience. Try to describe the Grand Canyon. You can talk all you want but until someone sees it, even
if only in a picture, your words will do little to convey its true grandeur.
Much in the same way a museum can inspire those with an interest in art, history, automobiles, or even
the Titanic, a planetarium is the catalyst to spark the imagination and encourage further exploration of
space science. But, today’s youth are plugged-in and on-line. In order to grab their attention, you have
to immerse them in the experience. And the way to do that is with full dome video projection.
Planetarium programs are dramatically different than they were just a few years ago. No longer do
visitors sit through static star fields with the droning voice of “Here we find the Big Dipper.” High
resolution productions now allow visitors to fly to other galaxies, witness supernova explosions, and sail
through dense regions of star forming nebulae.
Full dome video projection opens a world of limitless possibilities; it’s not just space science. Domed
theaters can take visitors on underwater adventures, hikes in the Amazon jungle, and excursions
through the human body, à la Fantastic Voyage. It’s an experience unlike anything else.
For Branson, the idea of a science museum and planetarium with full dome video capabilities can serve
two purposes, education and entertainment. The facility would obviously be a wonderful resource for
area schools, but would also become a valuable tourist attraction as well as a venue for special events.
Making the commitment for the necessary investment to see this project through is what defines a
progressive city. I encourage everyone to get behind this project, become involved, build support, and
spread the word.
A student who is exposed to wonder of space science at an early age will be more inclined to pursue
those studies in high school and college. We have to provide the inspiration now so they can build the
technology of tomorrow.

David Ritchey
St. Louis, MO