View source for Herman Potočnik Noordung and Vitanje

{{Article
| status       = TOPROOFREAD NIFERTIK!
| maintainer   = Ivan Pirnat
}}

{{Infobox
|name          = Spominski center Vitanje
|street        =
|town          = SI-3205 Vitanje
|telephone     = 386 (0) 3 757 4355
|image         = Herman Potočnik Noordung Memorial Centre Vitanje.jpg
|website       = http://www.noordung.info
|contacts      = {{contact
|name          = Srečko Fijavž 
|email         = srecko.fijavz@vitanje.si
|telephone     = 386 (0) 31 668 656
|established by = Municipality of Vitanje
|map           =
}}
|opening hours = 10am-3pm Tue, 10am-5pm Thu
}}


{{Teaser|
The [[Herman Potočnik Noordung Memorial Centre Vitanje|Herman Potočnik Noordung Memorial Centre]] was opened in December [[Established::2006]] in advance of the 115th anniversary celebrations of the birth of [[Herman Potočnik Noordung]] (1892&ndash;1929), a rocket engineer and a space flight pioneer and a visionary who conceived the idea of a geostationary satellite. Located in Vitanje, a town where Potočnik spent his early childhood, the centre showcases his life and work. It was initiated by [[Dragan Živadinov]] through the [[Noordung Cosmokinetic Cabinet]]. The memorial centre is to become part of [[European Cultural Centre of Space Technologies]] (Kulturno središče evropskih vesoljskih tehnologij (KSEVT)), a complex project of the revitalisation of the Vitanje Culture House, supported by the municipality and the [[Ministry of Culture]]. The opening is planned for Summer 2011.     
}}

{{YouTube|mb629By_qQU}}  
Cosmonaut Jurij Baturin speaks on the opening of his exhibition ''Meeting With Earth'' (2009)

== Collection== 
The Herman Potočnik Noordung Memorial Centre is a one-artefact-museum &ndash; the [[Herman Potočnik Noordung|Herman Potočnik Noordung's]] book ''Problem of Space Travel'' (1929). Memorial room slightly resembles to what interior would be like in space observatory. Due to lack of physical memorabilia about his life, interior of observatory capsule presents videos with statements of renowned historians, cosmonauts and astronauts for instance: Tatjana Nikolajevna Zhelnina, Pavel Klushantsev, Jurij Baturin, Roger Launius, Frederick I. Ordway III, and sir Arthur C. Clarke. Clarke introduced Potočnik's design of the wheel space station to Stanley Kubrick who used it (uncredited) in the film ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1969). 
            
==Herman Potočnik Noordung==
A visionary with an extraordinary technological imagination and an astounding philosophy of existence, [[Herman Potočnik Noordung]] was the author of the first strategic plan for the human exploration of space, whose predictions enjoy growing confirmation with each new extra-terrestrial accomplishment in the modern era. Born in 1892 to Slovene parents in Pula, Croatia, he spent World War I as a first lieutenant, assisting in the construction of railway lines and bridges on the Soča and Piava rivers. In 1925 he completed his engineering and electro-technical studies in Vienna with the title Specialist in Rocket Technology. Years of dire economic hardship and illness coincided with his design of a futuristic rocket and exploration of space-travel technology. Despite the setbacks the first notes for a book emerged, inspired by the writings of German rocket scientist Hermann Oberth. By 1928 Noordung had completed a rough draft of all the chapters, and in 1929, shortly before his death, the book ''Das Problem der Befahrung des Weltraums'' was published. Running to 188 pages and featuring 100 of his own drawings, it discusses gravity and ways of overcoming it, looks at the space technology used in everyday life, contemplates the efficiency of the rocket while warning against its possible misuse for military purposes, and envisions a geostationary satellite that would circle around the globe indefinitely with enviable precision. The concluding thought of the fourth and last segment of Potočnik's book is about the drive for nuclear and photonic technology which would make it possible to travel to nearby planets in our universe. The book considered space travel not as mere day-dreaming but as a very real technological possibility.

==Programme==
Since the inception the Herman Potočnik Noordung Memorial Centre Vitanje the concept and related events have been closely linked to the artistic endeavours of the [[Noordung Cosmokinetic Cabinet]] and developed by [[Dragan Živadinov]] (Merger of Art and Science), [[Dunja Zupančič]] (Postgravity Art) and [[Miha Turšič]] (Culturalisation of Space). 

The Centre has occasionally hosted the astronauts (e.g. Christer Fuglesang, Sunita Williams) and other prominent guests. In May and June 2009 Memorial Centre hosted exhibition of Russian scientist and cosmonaut Jurij Baturin with the title ''Meeting With Earth''.

==See also==

* [[Noordung Cosmokinetic Cabinet]]

==External links==
* [http://www.noordung.info/index_en.htmlHerman Potočnik Noordung Memorial Centre Vitanje website] (in English)
* [http://noordung.vesolje.net/vsebina/index.htm Herman Potočnik Noordung]
* [http://noordung.blogspot.com Herman Potočnik Noordung Memorial Centre Vitanje blog]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Potocnik Herman Potočnik on Wikipedia]
* [http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4026/contents.html The Problem of Space Travel book on NASA website]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=te15mpHmmTwC&printsec=frontcover&hl=sl&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false The Problem With Space Travel: The Rocket Motor, The NASA History Series]
* [http://www.orbit.zkm.de/?q=node/271 Dragan Živadinov «Zero Gravity Biomechanical Theater» 1999]
* [http://www.postgravityart.com/ Postgravity Art]
* [http://www.postgravityart.org/index_delak.html Delak Institute]
* [http://www.umbot.com/ Umbot]
* [http://www.mehatron.com/ Mehatron]
* [http://www.siol.net/slovenija/lokalne_novice/koroska_in_saleska/2010/04/v_vitanju_bo_zraslo_kulturno_sredisce_evropskih_vesoljskih_tehnologij.aspx Culture Centre of European Space Technologies] in Slovene language on Siol.net news website
[[Category:New media art]] 
[[Category:Museums]]
[[Category:Monuments and sites]]
[[Category:Venues]]