The Chinese used them for entertainment, Congreve as a weapon but who would have thought that the rocket held the key to reaching space? Herman Ganswindt and Konstantin Tsiolkowki did, but engineering technology was not in step with their ideas. It would take a shy American and a team of enthusiastic Germans to develop the means of reaching space. Andy illustrates a history of the rocket expressing the ups and downs of development using rare images, HD video and audio. A story that will surprise many as the ‘what might have beens’ are explored.

It has been a long dream for many people to reach the stars. In a Dramatic and philosophical lecture Andrew will look at this apparent need to travel away from the earth and to explore the cosmos. What is it that drives us upward? A brief resume of spaceflight to date is followed by what the future may hold and Andrew speculates on why humans may fly into space in the near future and why humans may fly into space in the distant future. Stunningly illustrated and accompanied by beautiful music,  this is a thought provoking and stimulating lecture presented in a unique way.