It can be argued fans of spaceflight have existed since the first humans looked toward the skies. Over the centuries, these “fans” invented technologies ranging from ever-improving telescopes that allowed them to gaze at the heavens to the increasingly more sophisticated rockets carrying spacecraft and people. And throughout the years, the delivery of spaceflight news, history, and yes, sometimes memes too adapted to new technologies, from newsstands, to magazines, and ultimately to Facebook and Twitter. This talk by Emily Carney examines the origins of spaceflight “fandom,” the twists and turns it took, its evolution to the present day, and how it sometimes itself influenced spaceflight history. Carney will also discuss her unlikely transition into "space burials." And who knows, a few Buran memes might show up.

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