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Author to Speak on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Monday, July 27, 2009

Ted Spitzmiller, author, nuclear weapons specialist, and flight instructor, will be presenting lectures about the historic 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, events considered by many as the beginning of the “Atomic Age.”  Spitzmiller will speak at 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. on August 8th at the Museum. The lectures are FREE with regular museum admission: $8 for adults, $7 for seniors/youth, children under 5 are free.

The objective of these presentations is to better understand the views of those involved and the environment of the time in which the decision was made.  As part of this, visitors will observe some of the factors that made WWII different from previous conflicts and to examine the various points of views of those involved in making the decision to drop.  Sixty four years later, the technology and science derived from this project are most prevalent in the energy and medicine world, but can be found in numerous modern applications. Spitzmiller is well versed on this topic, having flown more than 4,000 hours in over 60 different types of aircraft, and having more than 40 articles and two book publications.

“That era of history, particularly the time in which Fat Man and Little Boy were used, is worth learning about at any age” said Jim Walther, Director of the Museum. “We hope visitors will expand their understanding of those difficult times by attending.”

The main subject of the presentation will be the decision to use the Atomic Bombs against Japan at the end of WWII.  On August 6th, 1945, the United States Air Force dropped a uranium based “gun” type nuclear fission detonation device on Hiroshima, Japan.  Nicknamed “Little Boy”, this weapon was the second artificial nuclear explosion in history, having followed the famed Trinity Test in southern New Mexico.  Three days later the 393rd Bombardment Squadron of the United States Air Force flew over Japan again, dropping “Fat Man” onto the city of Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945.  This time, however, the weapon was equipped with an implosion type plutonium core, similar to the device tested at Trinity weeks earlier. 

Presentations on Lunar Launch and Trinity Given by Ted Spitzmiller

Presentations on Lunar Launch and Trinity Given by Ted Spitzmiller

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Saturday and Sunday’s lectures by Ted Spitzmiller were a success, as he spoke on the topics of the Apollo 11 Lunar Launch and the Trinity Site Nuclear Test.

Ted Spitzmiller is an author, nuclear weapons specialist, and flight instructor.  Having flown more than 4,000 hours in over 60 different types of aircraft, and having more than 40 articles and 2 book publications under his belt, Mr. Spitzmiller is truly an expert.  On Saturday July 18th and Sunday July 19th, Mr. Spitzmiller presented about two historic occasions at the Museum.  These consisted of one hour lectures about the Apollo 11 lunar launch, as well as the famed Trinity Site Nuclear Test. A brief overview of the topics is provided below:

Lunar Launch:
The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the moon.  The fifth human spaceflight of Project Apollo and third human voyage to the moon; this spaceflight launched on July 16, 1969.  The project was part of a larger political and technological “Space Race” between the United States and the Soviet Union during the 1960’s.  This race began after the Soviet launch of Sputnik on October 4, 1957, and was an ideological rivalry that focused on this vital space technology because of the potential military applications as well as the morale boosting social benefits during the Cold War.

Trinity:
On July 16, 1945 the US Army, via the Manhattan Project, tested an implosion design plutonium bomb on the White Sands Proving Ground - located about 35 miles southeast of Socorro, New Mexico.  This test and corresponding weapons project translated into the use of the “Fat Man”, which was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945.  This was considered by many as the beginning of the “Atomic Age.”  Sixty-four years later, the technology and science derived from this project are most prevalent in the energy and medicine world, but can be found in numerous applications.