‘Math and physics solve real-world problems’
Celebrated historical aerospace figure, retired NASA physicist F. Don Cooper, will speak at Fort Bend County Libraries’ Sienna Branch on June 23 to share his experiences with creating the technology that helped launch Apollo 11 in 1969. Notably, Cooper was also a part of the operations team during the Apollo 13 crisis in 1970, and he will speak about the calculations they performed to ensure the crew’s safe return to Earth.
The program, titled “To the Moon and Back,” will be presented by Don Cooper and the Fort Bend Astronomy Club. Although the program appeals to all ages, children younger than 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
From 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the Meeting Room at the Sienna Branch Library, Cooper will use a Saturn V rocket model, a slideshow, and an audio recording of the Apollo 11 lunar landing to tell the story of the mission.
“My presentation is designed to encourage students to study math and science,” he said.
Following Cooper’s presentation, attendees can join Fort Bend Astronomy Club members outside to view the moon and sun through safe solar filters. There may even be a chance to see Venus.
The Sienna Branch Library is located at 8411 Sienna Springs Blvd in Missouri City.
THE MISSION TO EMPHASIZE EDUCATION
Cooper said that while most students are unaware of the Apollo missions simply because they happened long before today’s youth were born, lessons from those historic moments still hold weight in the present and for the future.
After seeing students fascinated by the Saturn V exhibit at the Johnson Space Center in Houston nearly two decades ago, Cooper theorized that sharing how he and his NASA team developed equations for Saturn V’s flight could pique children’s interest in technology, physical sciences, and math.
This is why, for the past 18 years, Cooper has spoken or led presentations on the Apollo missions at public schools, organizations, and libraries. He also speaks at colleges such as the University of Houston, Houston Baptist University, and Oklahoma Baptist University.
As someone who played a key role in the nation’s first moon landing, Cooper’s lectures, presentations, and demonstrations underscore the importance of education.
“Students do not know much about [the Apollo 11 mission] since it all happened before they were born,” Cooper said. “My objective is to show them how it happened, emphasize that education is essential, and show how math and physics solve real-world problems.”
For more information about this program, visit www.fortbendlibraries.gov or call the Sienna Branch Library at 281-238-2900.
Cooper’s career encompasses his time as a mathematician at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in the Guidance Theory Section, where he helped create the trans-lunar targeting equations for the manned Apollo missions and worked on the Apollo missions at the Johnson Space Center. As a member of the Apollo 13 operations team, he was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Cooper retired from NASA in 2002 and now volunteers to speak at schools and libraries about the moon landing and demonstrate how a practical application of calculus created the Saturn V Apollo guidance equations.
