Take Back the Sky

by Chris Tobias

If your corner of the ‘verse is in or around the Pittsburgh area, then we have the perfect way for you to kick off your weekend!

Take Back the Sky will be at Carnegie Science Center on Pittsburgh’s North Shore this Friday, April 15 from 6-10pm for their annual “21-and-over Sci-Fi Night.”  We’ll have a table at the event where Browncoats as well as devotees of other science-fiction fandoms can sign a petition to SpaceX and/or write letters to SpaceX founder/CEO Elon Musk and president Gwynne Shotwell, asking them to name their first manned Dragon after Serenity.

And since the theme of this evening is science-fiction, the #SpaceXSerenityCrew will be cosplaying this time around as well.  Chris will be dressed as Malcolm Reynolds, and Ed will be wearing the Alliance uniform that Simon Tam wore to infiltrate the Alliance facility in the opening sequence of the motion picture Serenity.  We’re pretty sure they’ll pose for a selfie with you in exchange for a petition signature!

Of course, the guys also hope that after you sign, you’ll stick around for a while to talk to them about Firefly, Serenity, SpaceX’s recent successful CRS-8 launch of the (unmanned) Dragon to resupply the ISS and their spectacular recovery of the Falcon 9’s first stage at sea, or any other topic that sci-fi fans and space enthusiasts love to chat about.

There will be all kinds of activities and exhibits to explore too.  Whether you’re a fan of Star Trek, Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future or even classic sci-fi horror like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this shindig promises to be all manner of fun.  And because it’s a 21+ night, you can do it all without having to worry about having a passel of rambunctious rugrats underfoot– and while enjoying the finest of beverages that make you blind! For a complete list of events and attractions, or to purchase tickets, visit the Carnegie Science Center’s website.

If you’re a bit too far from Pittsburgh to join us on Friday evening, you can still be a part of it all by signing our online petition or sending SpaceX your very own letter (or if you prefer, a “Leaf on the Wind”) to let them know you think there would be no shinier name for their first manned Dragon than Serenity.

But if you can, we hope you’ll stop by our table at the Carnegie Science Center tomorrow night and say howdy, because here at Take Back the Sky, we think making new friends is shiny.  See you in the world.

Peace, love and rockets…