Human spaceflight has changed our world, but can a perspective born in space change the world too?  The Overview Effect, a term that describes a shift in worldview fostered by seeing the Earth from orbit or the Moon, has had a profound impact on the astronauts who have experienced it. Join us for a discussion with Overview Institute co-founders David Beaver and Frank White, and astronauts Michael Lopez-Alegria and Sandy Magnus. The program will be moderated by Roger Launius, associate director of the National Air and Space Museum.

The Overview Effect is a phenomenon that is often intellectually understood, but the experience itself is difficult to communicate because the astronauts and those listening to their message do not have a common framework for understanding.  The founders and supporters of the Institute feel that its message could have a salutary effect on the environmental movement, international relations, and a multitude of humanitarian issues.

The program will begin with a viewing of the short film “Overview."

  • Tracy Caldwell Dyson, a white female astronaut, leans on a window showing the Earth in space.
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    NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Expedition 24 flight engineer, looks through a window in the Cupola of the International Space Station. A blue and white part of Earth and the blackness of space are visible through the windows. The image was a self-portrait using natural light.

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  • Tracy Caldwell Dyson, a white female astronaut, leans on a window showing the Earth in space.
How to attend

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

6th St. and Independence Ave SW. Washington, DC 20560