May 14th 2025
AI-generated, human-edited.
When Charles Slatkin first learned that the historic home of Robert Goddard—the father of modern rocketry—was about to be destroyed by developers, he knew he had to act fast. In a recent episode of This Week in Space with Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik, guest Charles Slatkin shared how the 200-year-old Victorian house in Worcester, Massachusetts, represented an irreplaceable piece of space history, and he wasn't about to let it disappear.
"I didn't tell my wife for two weeks because it had to happen in 24 hours," Slatkin revealed on the podcast. "I had an astronaut tell me recently I'm the bravest man he knows—and I am still married."
Who Was Robert Goddard?
Robert Goddard, born in 1882, made history when he launched the world's first liquid-propelled rocket on March 16, 1926. Despite being ridiculed by publications like The New York Times (which famously claimed rockets couldn't work in space due to having "nothing to push against"), Goddard persevered through countless failures and setbacks.
His work eventually laid the foundation for modern spaceflight, though he didn't live to see his ultimate vindication—he died in 1945, just before the dawn of the space age he helped create. The New York Times finally published a retraction to their infamous criticism just days before the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
The Wonder Mission
Today, Slatkin leads what he calls "The Wonder Mission," an umbrella organization aimed at "bringing the universe to Main Street." The initiative encompasses several projects, including preserving Goddard's home and creating the National Space Trail.
"I've sort of been known as a wow factor technologist," Slatkin explained. "I was devastated to learn the United States was 38th in the world in graduating science and engineering majors, and I just felt like we weren't doing enough to really wow kids."
Saving Goddard's House
The Victorian home that once belonged to Goddard had been in private hands since 1982. When it came on the market again in 2021, Slatkin purchased it personally before transferring ownership to his nonprofit organization.
The house has since been restored and approved for zoning as a museum, library, and resource center. The first floor has been completely restored, while work continues on the second floor. Slatkin plans to create a "Goddard Fellows Program" that would allow a science or engineering student to live rent-free in the house while serving as a caretaker and tour guide.
While many of Goddard's original papers and equipment are housed at institutions like Clark University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and the Smithsonian, the house itself serves as a physical connection to the scientist's legacy.
The Goddard Centennial
With the 100th anniversary of Goddard's historic rocket launch approaching in 2026, Slatkin has been working to build awareness of this significant milestone.
"We're sometimes called the Paul Revere's of the centennial," he joked. "We've been running around for the last couple of years at various aerospace conferences, saying 'the centennial's coming, the centennial's coming.'"
Slatkin sees the centennial as an opportunity not just to celebrate Goddard's legacy, but to highlight modern scientists and engineers—whom he calls "today's Goddards"—and inspire the next generation.
"Let's celebrate all our scientists and engineers who are working tirelessly and doing amazing things, inventing vaccines in a year or flying helicopters on Mars without atmosphere," he said. "We celebrate our Kardashians and our sports heroes. We think that the centennial should really celebrate today's Goddards all over the country."
The National Space Trail
Another component of Slatkin's vision is the National Space Trail, inspired by Boston's Freedom Trail. Beginning in Worcester, the trail will eventually connect significant locations in space history across the country.
"We've basically got funding for the first eight or nine here in Worcester," Slatkin explained. "So it'll take you from the Goddard House to Goddard's High School... moving on to WPI and Clark University and the launch site."
The project has already garnered interest from space enthusiasts and professionals, with sites being nominated across the country. A website, National Space Trail, has been established to track the project's progress.
A Legacy Worth Preserving
Despite having NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center named after him, Robert Goddard remains surprisingly unknown to the general public. Slatkin frequently encounters people—even those wearing NASA shirts—who have no idea who Goddard was.
"There's really no recognition," Slatkin noted. "I travel around the country and ask young people and old people all the time who Robert Goddard is... most people are clueless."
By preserving Goddard's home, creating the National Space Trail, and highlighting the upcoming centennial, Slatkin hopes to change that—and in the process, inspire a new generation of rocket scientists and space enthusiasts.
As he puts it: "We really need to find ways to elevate and inspire tens of thousands of more with the wonder and power and possibilities and hope of space."
Share: Copied! This Week in Space #160May 9 2025 - The Amazing Dr. Goddard
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