Smithsonian Sunday

The Museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society will host a special webcast of the Smithsonian Institution?s National Air & Space Museum program entitled ?Star Trek?s Continuing Relevance.? Star Trek is not only popular, it?s important for current scholarship and industry. As a franchise, Star Trek has drawn upon real history for its narratives and influenced space history through its compelling depictions of a possible future. In this educational and multimedia panel program, four presenters will offer brief compelling insights into how relevant Star Trek is today: ? Nancy Reagin, editor of Star Trek and History (2013), will describe the latest popular history scholarship included in this new book. ? Mike Gold, chief counsel at Bigelow Aerospace, will explain the parallels between the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) being developed for the International Space Station and Star Trek events. ? Margaret Weitekamp of the Museum?s Space History department will show how the Museum?s Star Trek artifacts illuminate the social and cultural history of spaceflight. ? Dan Hendrickson, director for Space Systems, Aerospace Industries Association, will reveal why he spearheaded a crowd-sourced campaign, and partnered with the Challenger Center for Space Science Education to pay for ads promoting human spaceflight to show before new Star Trek film screenings.