A century ago, an Auburn scientist named Robert Goddard changed the course of human history with the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket launch. To celebrate this momentous centennial, Worcester State University is partnering with the Museum of Worcester to host an event that explores how that single launch ignited the modern space age.
Professor of Physics and Astronomy Andrew Burkhardt will serve as the event’s special guest speaker. Burkhardt, who holds a Ph.D in astronomy from the University of Virginia, will share how the field of astronomy was “revolutionized” following Goddard’s launch, as it helped scientists understand how 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,” said Burkhardt. “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.”
Professor of Physics and Astronomy Andrew Burkhardt
Prior to joining Worcester State, Burkhardt served as a Submillimeter Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and taught physics at Wellesley College. His specific field of research is astrochemistry, or the study of chemically turning the elemental ashes of stars into planets and the potentially prebiotic molecules on them.
The event, which will take place in the Fletcher Auditorium at the museum, is scheduled for April 9 at 4:30. Following the presentation, attendees will be invited to tour the museum’s special Goddard exhibit. Per the museum, the exhibit features artifacts and images from Clark University, WPI, Roswell Museum & Art Center, NASA, The Smithsonian Institution, Fort Devens Museum, David Clark Company and other private collections.
Additionally, Worcester State will showcase a selection of antique telescopes that typically reside in the Ghosh Science and Technology Center. The telescopes come from a collection amassed by the late Charles Blumsack [1], a lawyer and avid amateur astronomer, and have been loaned to the university by Charles’s widow, Cynthia Blumsack, a retired teacher.
The event will be free and open to the public. Registration is required for attendance. To register and secure your spot, visit the museum’s website [2].
The event is the latest in a string of collaborations between the university and the museum, all following last year’s announcement that the two had entered a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a multi-faceted, continuous partnership, driven by the university’s public history minor.
As a result of this partnership, Worcester State students in a material culture class recently had the opportunity to pitch and build their own museum exhibit [3]. Titled “Walking through Worcester: 250 Years of Growing Industry, Community, and Society,” the exhibition marks a significant departure from traditional industrial histories, moving away from a focus on wealthy factory owners to highlight the physical objects of everyday life that reflect the city’s true values. The exhibit is scheduled to open this May.
A few months prior, in December of 2025, the museum also brought the Emmy-award winning humorist Mo Rocca to Worcester State’s campus [4] for a lively discussion about the power of storytelling to illuminate the human experiences that shape our shared history.
The Goddard event, organized by history professor Joshua Koenig, is one in a series of launch centennial celebrations, as Worcester-area museums, universities, and other organizations have all been hosting unique events of their own. For a calendar of other events, visit the museum’s event page [5].