Caltech’s Behind the Book series, a Caltech Live! event, will feature “Escape From Earth: A Secret History of the Space Rocket,” by Fraser MacDonald, on Thursday, March 24, at 5 p.m.
The book reveals the long-buried truth about the dawn of the Space Age: lies, spies, socialism, and sex magic, in Pasadena in the 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.
Drawing on an astonishing array of untapped sources, including FBI documents and private archives, “Escape From Earth” tells the inspiring true story of Malina’s achievements – and the political fear that’s kept them hidden. At its heart, this is an Icarus tale: a real life fable about the miracle of human ingenuity and the frailty of dreams.
During the event, you can join JPL historian Erik M. Conway as he engages with the author, in what is expected to be an eye-opening and fascinating conversation.
The discussion is live on Zoom. To reserve your spot, visit https://events.caltech.edu/
For more information, contact Events by email at events@caltech.edu, call (626) 395-4652 or visit https://events.caltech.edu/
