posted 10-05-2008 02:06 PM               

Inside the museum, known as the "Golden Cube" nearly from the initial planning, is one of three Soviet Sputnik Is known to be left in the world. Adjacent is the United States' response to Sputnik: a mockup of Explorer 1.

The first U.S. satellite held James Van Allen's radiation detector that discovered radiation belts surrounding Earth. Early in his career, Van Allen tested similar devices at White Sands Proving Grounds. The museum also displays a basalt rock from the moon, one of 832 pounds of rocks Apollo astronauts returned with; as well as the Moon hemisphere sculpture that hung behind CBS newsman Walter Cronkite on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

Other artifacts include trinitite from the world's first atomic bomb test on July 16, 1945, at WSMR, along with mementoes from Joe Kittinger's jump from 102,800 feet during Project Manhigh. Ed Dittmer, an Alamogordo resident, is featured in displays training chimps HAM (an acronym for Holloman Aero Medical) and Enos. Dittmer participated in Manhigh, too. He and Kittinger were also the first Americans to perform the first parabolic flights over White Sands that create 20-30 seconds of weightlessness for astronaut training. Today the maneuver is done in what is called the "Vomit Comet."

And, HAM is buried on the grounds.

posted 10-14-2008 10:48 AM               

I left a banana on Ham's grave as a tribute.

posted 10-21-2025 04:37 PM               

Karen Kincaid Brady Named Executive Director of NM Museum of Space History

The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and the New Mexico Museum of Space History Commission today announced the appointment of Karen Kincaid Brady as executive director of the museum, effective October 27, 2025.

"We are thrilled to welcome Karen to the New Mexico Museum of Space History," said Debra Garcia y Griego, cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. "Her combined expertise in history, preservation, and museum leadership, paired with her lifelong passion for space history, will help inspire future generations through the remarkable story of New Mexico's role in space exploration."

Kincaid Brady brings more than a decade of experience in museum management, historic preservation, and public programming. She most recently served as business and programming director at the Neill-Cochran House Museum in Austin, Texas, where she oversaw daily operations, staff and volunteer management, fundraising, and community partnerships. Prior to that, she was project manager and historic preservation lead at R&K Solutions, Inc., directing preservation projects that culminated in museum exhibitions, including one at the Museum of Science and History in Jacksonville, Florida.

"My love for space history began during my childhood visits to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum," Kincaid Brady said. "Joining the New Mexico Museum of Space History feels like coming full circle. I'm excited to continue advancing the museum's mission to share the stories of innovation, exploration, and discovery that define both New Mexico and our journey into space."

As executive director, she will oversee the museum's operations, exhibitions, research, and educational programs, ensuring its continued role as one of New Mexico's premier cultural institutions.

Located in Alamogordo, the New Mexico Museum of Space History is dedicated to preserving and sharing the state's contributions to space exploration and research. It is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

Kincaid Brady has master's degrees in historic preservation from the University of Texas at Austin, and in history from the University of Texas at San Antonio, as well as a graduate certificate in historic preservation from UT San Antonio. Her academic work includes Preservation Moon: Defining and Preserving the Cultural Landscape of Tranquility Base, a study that reflects her deep interest in the heritage of space exploration.

The New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. A Smithsonian Affiliate, the museum showcases the significant role New Mexico has played in the development of the U.S. Space Program and features the International Space Hall of Fame, and New Horizons Dome Theater.