The NYU Space Talks lecture series is back in its tenth season.

Martin J. Collins (1951–2025) was a pioneering historian of Cold War science, global communications, and the cultural politics of space exploration. As a longtime curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and editor of History and Technology, Collins championed scholarship that crossed disciplinary and geographic boundaries. His work brought critical attention to infrastructure, systems thinking, and the transnational flows of information, capital, and power that defined the late twentieth century. This roundtable brings together colleagues and collaborators to reflect on the wide-ranging impact of Collins' research – from work on extensive oral history projects, to curatorial practice, to studies of globalization, satellites, and surveillance – and to explore how his legacy continues to shape contemporary approaches to history, science and technology in both scholarly and public contexts.

Featuring: John Krige (Georgia Institute of Technology), Teasel Muir-Harmony (Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum), James Schwoch (Northwestern University), James Merle Thomas (Helen Frankenthaler Foundation) and Adelheid Voskuhl (University of Pennsylvania)
Chair: Alexander Geppert (New York University/NYU Shanghai)


Everybody is cordially welcome but advance registration is necessary. To do so, please consult space-talks.com. All NYU Space Talks are live conversations, and recordings will not be shared afterwards.