How Goddard Launched Us into the Modern Era of Astrophysics

Following Goddard's historic launch a century ago, the field of astronomy has been revolutionized by our ability to put scientific equipment and people beyond the Earth's surface. These newfound capabilities have opened up new windows into our Universe, allowing us to study fundamental questions about humanity. How did we get here? Are we alone? What will happen to us in the future? Here, we will discuss how Goddard's feats of science and engineering ushered in this new era and how, even today, we are able to push the envelope of modern astrophysics thanks to his contributions.

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About Andrew:

Andrew Burkhardt is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Worcester State University. His specific field of research is astrochemistry, or the study of how we chemically turn the elemental ashes of stars into planets and the potentially prebiotic molecules on them. In particular, he uses a combination of astronomical observations and chemical simulations to better understand the formation of the most complex molecules in the interstellar medium. This ranges from the formation of aromatic molecules to the production of complex prebiotic molecules in interstellar ices. He got his B.S. in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Physics at the University of Michigan, his Ph.D in Astronomy at the University of Virignia. He then was a Submillimeter Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and then spent a year teaching physics at Wellesley College.