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After Apollo: The Legacy of the American Moon Landings
When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon in 1969, it was a public spectacle like no other, capturing the imagination of the world and fulfilling a centuries-old dream. That landing, and the lunar landings that followed between 1969 and 1972, represented the quintessential accomplishment of the first 50 years of the space age and seemed to confirm the American ideal of limitless progress and expansion.
In After Apollo , Roger D. Launius, Senior Curator at the National Air and Space Museum, investigates the cultural significance of the moon landings from the vantage of a post-modern, post-cold war world. Launius examines all aspects of the Apollo the mythology of the astronaut in American culture, the importance of lunar science, the American public's memory of the moon landings, and more. He considers how differing cultural, generational, economic, and ethnic backgrounds affect the way we view the moon landings, and how the landings in turn influenced America's view of itself and its place in the world. The Apollo flights clearly fit into--and bolstered--the master narrative of American exceptionalism and triumphalism. But Launius also examines three counter the Left's objection that the enormous sums of money devoted to space exploration could have been better spent on social programs; the Right's view of Apollo as another tax-and-spend government boondoggle; and the moon-landing deniers' contention that the whole thing was faked as part of a nefarious conspiracy to attain world domination.
Drawing on the literature of memory as well as extensive research into contemporary culture, After Apollo offers an insightful and enduringly relevant appraisal of the lunar landings and their place in American history.
In After Apollo , Roger D. Launius, Senior Curator at the National Air and Space Museum, investigates the cultural significance of the moon landings from the vantage of a post-modern, post-cold war world. Launius examines all aspects of the Apollo the mythology of the astronaut in American culture, the importance of lunar science, the American public's memory of the moon landings, and more. He considers how differing cultural, generational, economic, and ethnic backgrounds affect the way we view the moon landings, and how the landings in turn influenced America's view of itself and its place in the world. The Apollo flights clearly fit into--and bolstered--the master narrative of American exceptionalism and triumphalism. But Launius also examines three counter the Left's objection that the enormous sums of money devoted to space exploration could have been better spent on social programs; the Right's view of Apollo as another tax-and-spend government boondoggle; and the moon-landing deniers' contention that the whole thing was faked as part of a nefarious conspiracy to attain world domination.
Drawing on the literature of memory as well as extensive research into contemporary culture, After Apollo offers an insightful and enduringly relevant appraisal of the lunar landings and their place in American history.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 26, 2013
14 people want to read
About the author
Roger D. Launius
32 books3 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Dr. Roger D. Launius earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge (American frontier and military history).
Dr. Launius was a civilian historian with the United States Air Force, and became Chief Historian for the Military Airlift Command. Since October 1990 he is Chief Historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He is also Senior Curator at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
He is also involved in the study of nineteenth century history and the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church).
Dr. Roger D. Launius earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge (American frontier and military history).
Dr. Launius was a civilian historian with the United States Air Force, and became Chief Historian for the Military Airlift Command. Since October 1990 he is Chief Historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He is also Senior Curator at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
He is also involved in the study of nineteenth century history and the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church).
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