Browsing by Subject "aviation"

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    Displaying Cold War Technology: The National Air and Space Museum, 1946-1976
    (2018-12) Shin, Jieun
    The formative planning for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) between 1946 and 1976 reflected changing notions about aeronautics and space science of Cold War America. After World War II, the National Air Museum (NAM) was proposed as a demonstration of America’s emerging role as a global superpower by displaying the advances made in aviation over more than half a century. With the initial intention of the military leadership to present the significance of airpower, the NAM had rationalized its identity as “a shrine for American aviation” particularly after acquiring the Kitty Hawk in 1948 and securing its site in the National Mall in 1958. The objectives of the NAM shifted from commemoration to education with the advent of the Space Age and the new leadership of the Smithsonian Institution in the 1960s. The reform of national science education and increasing attention to space programs after Sputnik were coupled with the Smithsonian’s efforts to reshape the museum and, eventually, changed its name from NAM to NASM by adding term “Space.” Nonetheless, the actual building plan was impeded by limited staffing, competition with other projects in the Smithsonian, and budgetary limitations due to the Vietnam War. In 1969, in the wake of Apollo 11, the delay of the NASM planning attracted attention from the media, military, and Congress. The NASM advocates turned the criticism into opportunity by emphasizing the dual missions, commemoration and education, with two strategic decisions: a planetarium for public science education and the opening the museum in time for American Bicentennial celebration. After the appropriation for construction in 1972, the NASM reoriented its direction with a new organization and exhibit policies to meet the deadline of July 4, 1976. To present “balanced” perspective, the staff sometimes justified their selection of artifacts and provided historical narratives in conjunction with the interests of government and aerospace agencies. When the NASM finally opened its doors in 1976, the museum proved a tremendous success, but still had enormous potential for displaying more complete stories of the history, culture, and science of aviation and spaceflight with new historians on staff.
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    Local in space and time: Acoustic environmental policy in Minnesota and a fine-scale spatiotemporal representation of aircraft noise impact on residential life
    (2016-03) Bonsal, Dudley
    Communities near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) have been affected by significant levels of aircraft noise. The ways that residents are sensitive to the noise have been reflected in the conflicts over how best to regulate it, including how to adopt mapping techniques that accurately reflect the degree of their exposure and how to provide the appropriate amount of mitigation. In this dissertation, a mixed-method approach is adopted to examine how the acoustic environment, and aircraft noise in particular, are configured spatiotemporally in an urban, residential context. First, the legal designation of quietude as an acoustic natural resource in Minnesota is examined in regard to its implications for how aircraft noise exposure is regulated in the vicinity of MSP and how sound research can be reconceived on a broader scale. Next, a geospatial analysis of MSP aircraft departure patterns is adopted so that temporal variations are represented to better reflect the day-to-day noise exposure of local residents. Finally, a methodology is created for representing the cumulative impact of aircraft noise, based on changing departure patterns over time and the use of demographic data for the overall population, as well as sub-populations whose exposure varies based on the time spent at home. The project is guided throughout by three overarching concerns: the impact of environmental policy on the acoustic landscape, the urban acoustic environment from a residential perspective, and geographic representations of aircraft noise exposure at finer spatial and temporal scales.