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Behind the Book "Escape From Earth: A Secret History of the Space Rocket" by Fraser MacDonald

Thursday, March 24, 2022
5:00pm to 6:00pm
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The long-buried truth about the dawn of the Space Age: lies, spies, socialism, and sex magic, in Pasadena, 1930s. Everyone knows that rockets are just toys, the stuff of cranks and pulp magazines. Nevertheless, an earnest engineering student named Frank Malina sets out to prove the doubters wrong. With the help of his friend Jack Parsons, a grandiose and occult-obsessed explosives enthusiast, Malina embarks on a journey that takes him from junkyards and desert lots to the heights of the military-industrial complex. Please bring your questions and join Erik M. Conway, JPL Historian, as he engages with author Fraser MacDonald, in what is expected to be an eye opening and fascinating conversation! Special guest appearance by Peter S. Collopy, Caltech Archivist and Head of Archives and Special Collections.

For more information, please contact Events by email at events@caltech.edu or visit the information page for "Escape from Earth".