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ABILENE, Kan. - The third and final program in the Curve of Change series will be presented at
7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, in the Visitors Center auditorium of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum.
"The Future of the Universe" will be presented by Christopher Orwoll, President and CEO of the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, Hutchinson, Kan. Orwoll, who began his career in the Navy serving aboard submarines and also working in the education field, will discuss what we know about the Universe today and plans for future exploration. He taught naval science for the Naval ROTC units at both Cornell University and the University of Kansas. While at KU, Orwoll also served as the Naval ROTC unit's commanding officer. He retired from the Navy in 2007, and was hired by the Cosmosphere in March 2007.
The space race began on President Eisenhower's watch when the Soviet Union beat America into space with Sputnik I, the first satellite into space. To bring the American space program up to speed, Eisenhower approved a new congressional program to bring talented young scientists into the field of space technology. The eventual launch of Explorer I in January 1958 finally allowed the United States to enter the space race. On July 29, 1958, Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, establishing NASA.
A full scale replica of the Freedom 7 capsule, which was part of the Mercury space program, is on display in the current exhibit at the Eisenhower Presidential Museum, "Eisenhower: Agent of Change." It took the U.S. many tries to successfully send an American into space, and that goal was accomplished on May 5, 1961, by Alan B. Shepard Jr. who flew the Freedom 7. (The replica is on loan courtesy of the Cosmosphere.)
"Eisenhower: Agent of Change" will be on display through January 29, 2012. To supplement the exhibit, many public programs, including a film series, are scheduled throughout the year. To see the event schedule, visit www.eisenhower.archives.gov or become a fan on Facebook.
These programs and exhibits are only made possible through private donations to the Eisenhower Foundation. Special thanks to the Hall Family Foundation, Emma Balsiger Foundation, Robert M. Beren Foundation, Inc., and Barton P. and Mary D. Cohen Charitable Trust for their generous support of the "Eisenhower: Agent of Change" exhibit. If you would like to learn how you can support programs and exhibits, please contact the Eisenhower Foundation at 785.263.6700.
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