posted 01-10-2023 09:14 AM               

2022 Sacknoff Prize for Space History Winner Announced

"The Culture of Cosmonautics in a Communist Society: Visual Depictions of American Astronauts and Apollo Flights in Romanian Philately"

Tudor Mihăescu wins the 2022 Sacknoff Prize for Space History

Tudor Mihăescu, a PhD candidate at the University of Bucharest (Romania), has been named the winner of the 2022 Sacknoff Prize for Space History for his paper, “The Culture of Cosmonautics in a Communist Society: Visual Depictions of American Astronauts and Apollo Flights in Romanian Philately."

Established in 2011, the annual prize, named after commercial space consultant and entrepreneur Scott Sacknoff, is designed to encourage university students to perform original research on the history of spaceflight. The winner receives a $500 cash prize, publication in the peer-reviewed journal, "Quest: The History of Spaceflight," and an invitation to present at the annual meeting of the Society for the History of Technology.

The winning manuscript from Mr. Mihăescu focuses on the on the culture of cosmonautics, which was reflected in multiple spheres of public life: from science fiction literature and popular science magazines to cinematography, philately (stamp collecting), scale modeling, and museums. His paper explores various types of cultural aspects and the impact of space exploration on society before delving into Romanian space philately.

This year’s review committee consisted of Dr. Christopher Gainor, the editor of "Quest," along with two professional historians and members of the Society for the History of Technology — Albatross Special Interest Group (aerospace).