Before someone can create new and better technologies in aviation and space exploration, they have to imagine them! Just like science fiction authors and artists, scientists and engineers use their imagination in their work.
Explore how science fiction helps us think about the future and what is possible, especially around inventions that make our lives better and make things easier to do.
Jump to Section: Science Fiction to Real Life Talk About It! Trailblazer Spotlight This or That? Game Story Time Suggestions Make a Comic Strip
Look through the images below.
The cartoon from the 1960s, The Jetsons imagined futuristic calls using videophones. On the show, they sometimes had their own wheels or sat on desktop, or even floating in mid-air.
Kids, choose a question to ask a grown up in your family:
Grown ups, ask your kids this question: Have you seen anything in a science fiction show, movie or book that you would like to see in the future?
Science fiction helps us imagine a better future, and that doesn't only have to be related to technology. The show Star Trek, that was on television during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, showed people of different races and backgrounds working together on a team. This was something not necessarily happening in real life during this time. In this section, meet one of the actors from the original cast.
Actress Nichelle Nichols played Lieutenant Uhura on the science fiction TV show Star Trek, that was on from 1966 to 1969.
Footage, still photo(s), elements from Star Trek - Courtesy of CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Seeing her on TV inspired many Black Americans, even Martin Luther King, Jr! When Ms. Nichols told Dr. King that she was thinking of quitting the show to pursue stage acting, he encouraged her to stay because she represented an African American woman working in a leadership position, treated as a peer by her crewmates. That type of presence was too important.
Footage, still photo(s), elements from Star Trek - Courtesy of CBS Broadcasting Inc.
After her role on Star Trek, Ms. Nichols worked with NASA to recruit people of color and women for their astronaut program. As a result, the 1978 class of astronaut candidates included three African American men, one Asian-American man, and six women, all firsts for the NASA astronaut corps.
Ms. Nichols passed away on July 30, 2022 but her impact as a role model for so many people onscreen and off lives on.
Other women have since played the part of Uhura, and she remains an important character in newer iterations of the Star Trek story. But Ms. Nichols’s performance and her collaboration with show creator Gene Roddenberry defined the character.
How to Play:
Here are some questions to ask, related to science fiction and future technology:
You can also create your own!
Check out these science fiction books at your school or library!
Materials Needed:
Step 1: Think about what science fiction story you'd like to tell. Use these images to help with your storytelling.
Step 2: Watch this video for instructions on how to make your own comic strip.
Have your materials ready so you can follow along!
It's Craft Time with Air and Space! Create your own comic strip adventure story! Join museum educator Ann Caspari as she demonstrates how to draw a simple comic strip and create your own space adventure story.
Step 3: Create your comic strip story
Step 4: Share your comic with someone!
Soar Together at Air and Space is made possible by the generous support of Northrop Grumman.