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Apollo's Legacy: Perspectives on the Moon Landings
An all-encompassing look at the history and enduring impact of the Apollo space programIn Apollo's Legacy, space historian Roger D. Launius explores the many-faceted stories told about the meaning of the Apollo program and how it forever altered American society. The Apollo missions marked the first time human beings left Earth's orbit and visited another world, and thus they loom large in our collective memory. Many have detailed the exciting events of the Apollo program, but Launius offers unique insight into its legacy as seen through multiple perspectives. He surveys a wide range of viewpoints and narratives, both positive and negative, surrounding the program. These include the argument that Apollo epitomizes American technological--and political--progress; technological and scientific advances garnered from the program; critiques from both sides of the political spectrum about the program's expenses; and even conspiracy theories and denials of the program's very existence. Throughout the book, Launius weaves in stories from important moments in Apollo's history to draw readers into his analysis. Apollo's Legacy is a must-read for space buffs interested in new angles on a beloved cultural moment and those seeking a historic perspective on the Apollo program.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2019
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Roger D. Launius
46 books5 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 3, 2019
This was really dry in places. I wasn't expecting so much political talk, both for and against the space program then and now. I'll admit that I skimmed quite a bit of this, especially the political and overly technical parts. Overall i think this paints a pretty solid picture of why the Apollo missions were important in the 1960s, and why an ongoing exploration of space is important today.
March 10, 2020
The year 2019 marked the fiftieth anniversary of Apollo-11's landing of two American astronauts on the Moon. In the American consciousness, the event has always been regarded as an episode when a great American leader stepped forward with a bold initiative and committed the nation to a high ideal of scientific exploration of space, tagging America as an exceptional and technocratic nation. Americans saw it as the triumph of free-market capitalism over Communism, contributing to the belief that 'if we can land Man on the Moon, we can do anything we set our minds to.' However, fifty years is a long time in a post-modern world, and the euphoria gradually gives way to a more rational and realistic assessment of any historical event or achievement. That is what the author, Roger D. Launius, does in this excellent volume which asks probing questions and dares to offer dispassionate counter-narratives. It explores the 1960s' spacefaring phenomena in all its dimensions - geopolitics, myth, imagery, heroism, real-world issues, religion, and so on. It is an insightful book that offers many thoughtful perspectives on the legacy of the Apollo project.
The popular imagination has it that the space program of the 1960s had full backing from the public, the scientists, and the political system. It was as if the frontier spirit inspired America. However, the truth was a little underwhelming. Data shows that at only one point before the Apollo 11 mission, in October 1965, more than half the public favored the program. In most opinion polls of the 1960s, Americans consistently ranked spaceflight near the top of those programs they wished to see cut in the federal budget. Over 40% of the people ranked air and water pollution, job training for unskilled workers, national beautification, and tackling poverty as higher priority tasks. The Left slammed it as a waste of national resources when the nation faced problems of inequality, poverty, racism, and sexism. Even President Eisenhower opposed it, preferring to allocate the money to Social security, Medicare, and education. He believed that the space program was appropriating too much talent from solving social problems. Eminent scientists like Vannevar Bush also had similar objections. The Right and the Libertarians opposed it as a wasteful 'big government' in operation.
So, why did the US go for the Moonshot? The author argues that it was Cold War imperatives and not scientific advancement, which was the clincher for the Apollo project. In April 1961, two events made the Kennedy administration insecure. The Soviets successfully sent Yuri Gagarin to orbit the Earth. A couple of weeks later, the disaster of the Bay of Pigs invasion happened. JFK felt that the USSR was getting ahead with its space programs and the purported 'missile gap.' He realized that military victory over the Soviets is a non-starter. Demonstration of the superiority of the capitalist economy over Communism would take decades. Hence, seizing the initiative through technological mastery was the only way the competition can be won. It is this background that made him recklessly announce 'Mission Moon' before the end of the decade, barely a month after Gagarin's spaceflight.
Launius says that no one would think today that the Apollo project was a wasteful expenditure. A Nature magazine study showed that more than half the 800 scientists polled in 2009 said that they pursued science, inspired by NASA's Apollo program and space flight. Over 80% of life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and physiology benefited by the R&D spending on Apollo. Macroeconomic studies sponsored by NASA showed in 1971 that spending on R&D had an astounding 7:1 return, refined to 9:1 in 1988. In 1975, a Chase Econometrics study showed the gains as 14:1. i.e., for every $ spent on R&D, there was a $14 multiplier on GDP. However, even in the 1960s, people realized that the genuinely dicey problems of race, class, poverty, disease, hunger, and economic disparity defied a simple technological fix. Similarly, Americans saw to their dismay that all the bombs, all the modern weapons, and military expertise could not defeat the peasant army of Vietnam in the 1960s.
Even though the Apollo program was rooted in the Cold War rivalry, it had an unexpected fall-out as the decade progressed. On the one hand, the images returned to Earth by the astronauts offered an archetypal statement of American ingenuity, technological virtuosity, and national exceptionalism. Apollo 8's capture of the iconic blue Earthrise photo turned out to be one of the most striking and memorable images. The cloud-speckled ocean-blue sphere of the Earth, awash in color, was in such contrast to the grey of the Moon and black of space. At once, this image eroded even the deeply ingrained nationalisms. It promoted a desire for the inescapable recognition of the unity and fragility of the Earth and a desire to preserve and protect it.
Author Launius makes some fundamental and penetrating observations on how the Apollo endeavor resembles both religion and myth. Religion is the practice of faith and worship, the existence of a set of beliefs inspiring reverence and allegiance, trust in an alternative arrangement of human affairs, with promises of immortality, an explanation of origins and conviction in a message of salvation. Human space exploration fits all these characteristics well. The Apollo project meets another criterion as well, that of saints and martyrs. People like Armstrong and Aldrin reach saintly status while Edward White et al., who died in the Apollo 1 fire, are seen as martyrs in the cause of the moon mission.
The Apollo project is also a myth in the sense of a narrative of events of great significance. Myths are essential truths for the members of the cultural group which hold them. In the US, the nation's historical narrative embeds the Apollo myth. It is a tribal ritual, meant to comfort the old and indoctrinate the young. Apollo is also a form of America's soft power. Without using economic and military might, it makes others inspired by it and follow the American way. Apollo, as an embodiment of progress, also incorporated another national myth - that of the innocent nation. This myth meant that whatever the US does is just and righteous and represented the best of humanity.
Launius sees that the astronauts also fitted the myth of frontier heroes, as depicted in Hollywood. Their exploits celebrated danger, ritual, and service to the nation. Their personas emphasized bravery, patriotism, and religious faith, all complimented by loving wives and children. They epitomized American manhood, putting a human face on the grand technological endeavor, a hardworking, fun-loving, virile idea of the American male. They were not elitist in bearing, and none had any privileged backgrounds. They were educated in public schools, trained in state universities, and ultimately went to the Moon on merit. Diligence, achievement in school, excellence in math and science, and devotion to duty were the only prerequisites.
Finally, there was also a dark side, as in all religions and myths. NASA was very white, and marginalized African-Americans and other minorities, as we saw documented in the film 'Hidden Figures.' The image of spacefaring was white, virile, and masculine in the perception of Americans.
Today, there is renewed activity in space, from the private enterprise. People like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos talk as if their space endeavors are not just science but a spiritual quest. Many others, induced by environmentalists to view the Earth as a 'dirtied planet,' talk about going to Mars as an escape from sin and achieving purification. So, we will likely see new myths created and propagated to camouflage the truth that it is now fundamentally a commercial enterprise. Whatever happens, no one can deny what the public intellectual Arthur Schleisinger, Jr said in the past - that the 20th century will always be remembered even five hundred years hence as the century when man began the exploration of space.
The popular imagination has it that the space program of the 1960s had full backing from the public, the scientists, and the political system. It was as if the frontier spirit inspired America. However, the truth was a little underwhelming. Data shows that at only one point before the Apollo 11 mission, in October 1965, more than half the public favored the program. In most opinion polls of the 1960s, Americans consistently ranked spaceflight near the top of those programs they wished to see cut in the federal budget. Over 40% of the people ranked air and water pollution, job training for unskilled workers, national beautification, and tackling poverty as higher priority tasks. The Left slammed it as a waste of national resources when the nation faced problems of inequality, poverty, racism, and sexism. Even President Eisenhower opposed it, preferring to allocate the money to Social security, Medicare, and education. He believed that the space program was appropriating too much talent from solving social problems. Eminent scientists like Vannevar Bush also had similar objections. The Right and the Libertarians opposed it as a wasteful 'big government' in operation.
So, why did the US go for the Moonshot? The author argues that it was Cold War imperatives and not scientific advancement, which was the clincher for the Apollo project. In April 1961, two events made the Kennedy administration insecure. The Soviets successfully sent Yuri Gagarin to orbit the Earth. A couple of weeks later, the disaster of the Bay of Pigs invasion happened. JFK felt that the USSR was getting ahead with its space programs and the purported 'missile gap.' He realized that military victory over the Soviets is a non-starter. Demonstration of the superiority of the capitalist economy over Communism would take decades. Hence, seizing the initiative through technological mastery was the only way the competition can be won. It is this background that made him recklessly announce 'Mission Moon' before the end of the decade, barely a month after Gagarin's spaceflight.
Launius says that no one would think today that the Apollo project was a wasteful expenditure. A Nature magazine study showed that more than half the 800 scientists polled in 2009 said that they pursued science, inspired by NASA's Apollo program and space flight. Over 80% of life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and physiology benefited by the R&D spending on Apollo. Macroeconomic studies sponsored by NASA showed in 1971 that spending on R&D had an astounding 7:1 return, refined to 9:1 in 1988. In 1975, a Chase Econometrics study showed the gains as 14:1. i.e., for every $ spent on R&D, there was a $14 multiplier on GDP. However, even in the 1960s, people realized that the genuinely dicey problems of race, class, poverty, disease, hunger, and economic disparity defied a simple technological fix. Similarly, Americans saw to their dismay that all the bombs, all the modern weapons, and military expertise could not defeat the peasant army of Vietnam in the 1960s.
Even though the Apollo program was rooted in the Cold War rivalry, it had an unexpected fall-out as the decade progressed. On the one hand, the images returned to Earth by the astronauts offered an archetypal statement of American ingenuity, technological virtuosity, and national exceptionalism. Apollo 8's capture of the iconic blue Earthrise photo turned out to be one of the most striking and memorable images. The cloud-speckled ocean-blue sphere of the Earth, awash in color, was in such contrast to the grey of the Moon and black of space. At once, this image eroded even the deeply ingrained nationalisms. It promoted a desire for the inescapable recognition of the unity and fragility of the Earth and a desire to preserve and protect it.
Author Launius makes some fundamental and penetrating observations on how the Apollo endeavor resembles both religion and myth. Religion is the practice of faith and worship, the existence of a set of beliefs inspiring reverence and allegiance, trust in an alternative arrangement of human affairs, with promises of immortality, an explanation of origins and conviction in a message of salvation. Human space exploration fits all these characteristics well. The Apollo project meets another criterion as well, that of saints and martyrs. People like Armstrong and Aldrin reach saintly status while Edward White et al., who died in the Apollo 1 fire, are seen as martyrs in the cause of the moon mission.
The Apollo project is also a myth in the sense of a narrative of events of great significance. Myths are essential truths for the members of the cultural group which hold them. In the US, the nation's historical narrative embeds the Apollo myth. It is a tribal ritual, meant to comfort the old and indoctrinate the young. Apollo is also a form of America's soft power. Without using economic and military might, it makes others inspired by it and follow the American way. Apollo, as an embodiment of progress, also incorporated another national myth - that of the innocent nation. This myth meant that whatever the US does is just and righteous and represented the best of humanity.
Launius sees that the astronauts also fitted the myth of frontier heroes, as depicted in Hollywood. Their exploits celebrated danger, ritual, and service to the nation. Their personas emphasized bravery, patriotism, and religious faith, all complimented by loving wives and children. They epitomized American manhood, putting a human face on the grand technological endeavor, a hardworking, fun-loving, virile idea of the American male. They were not elitist in bearing, and none had any privileged backgrounds. They were educated in public schools, trained in state universities, and ultimately went to the Moon on merit. Diligence, achievement in school, excellence in math and science, and devotion to duty were the only prerequisites.
Finally, there was also a dark side, as in all religions and myths. NASA was very white, and marginalized African-Americans and other minorities, as we saw documented in the film 'Hidden Figures.' The image of spacefaring was white, virile, and masculine in the perception of Americans.
Today, there is renewed activity in space, from the private enterprise. People like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos talk as if their space endeavors are not just science but a spiritual quest. Many others, induced by environmentalists to view the Earth as a 'dirtied planet,' talk about going to Mars as an escape from sin and achieving purification. So, we will likely see new myths created and propagated to camouflage the truth that it is now fundamentally a commercial enterprise. Whatever happens, no one can deny what the public intellectual Arthur Schleisinger, Jr said in the past - that the 20th century will always be remembered even five hundred years hence as the century when man began the exploration of space.
October 10, 2023
An interesting book that did not live up to its promise. Launis opens the book describing four ways Americans have viewed the Apollo program: 1) as a triumph of American ingenuity; 2) as a waste of money better spent on social programs (from the left); 3) as a waste of money from an over-profligate government (from the right); and 4) as a fraud that never happened. He asks the reader “How might those recalling Apollo most accurately view that moment in time, now that nearly six decades have passed?” An intriguing question that invites the reader forward.
But then, he describes the program wholly within his first interpretive category (indeed, his next chapter title is: “The Most Powerful Technology Every Conceived” which is arguable). Further chapters on “Heroes” (the astronauts), Apollo’s science, Apollo’s imagery and “vicarious exploration”, “Applying knowledge from Apollo to this-world problems,” and finally, “Apollo and the religion of space flight,” draw us deeper and deeper into what seems his only possible way of “interpreting Apollo”: as a triumph of American ingenuity. It’s OK for him to present it that way—and we would expect it from the program historian—but why ask the question up front if you don’t intend to answer it?
The final two mentioned chapters above are first instructive and second, strange.
In the former, he tells the story of James Webb, NASA’s director during most of the Apollo program, and his passion for 1) using NASA’s relationship with universities “to foster NASA-based social economic progress,” 2) using NASA’s system management processes to solve the social ills of America, 3) and then adds himself the possibility of using NASA’s processes to solve climate change. This grandiose view of the space program’s ability to influence every and any problem seems to me as ungrounded in logic as an Apollo capsule coasting toward the moon is ungrounded from earth. It’s also a good example of the natural tendency of government toward an ever-expanding mission far exceeding its original. This would have been an excellent time to comment on the view from the right the author expressed up front. He failed to take it.
The chapter on space flight as religion was just strange.
He closes the book with three chapters on historic skepticism that the moon landing ever happened, a description of its infrastructure abandoned and neglected (wherein he could have addressed the “this is a waste of money views from the front," but did not), and a conclusion that doesn’t really match the tenor of the rest of the book.
Despite the narrative flaws of the book, there are many vignettes and stories within it that, particularly for one who lived through the era, bring back warm memories of the time and triumph that was the space race.
Alas, there are better books to evoke those memories.
But then, he describes the program wholly within his first interpretive category (indeed, his next chapter title is: “The Most Powerful Technology Every Conceived” which is arguable). Further chapters on “Heroes” (the astronauts), Apollo’s science, Apollo’s imagery and “vicarious exploration”, “Applying knowledge from Apollo to this-world problems,” and finally, “Apollo and the religion of space flight,” draw us deeper and deeper into what seems his only possible way of “interpreting Apollo”: as a triumph of American ingenuity. It’s OK for him to present it that way—and we would expect it from the program historian—but why ask the question up front if you don’t intend to answer it?
The final two mentioned chapters above are first instructive and second, strange.
In the former, he tells the story of James Webb, NASA’s director during most of the Apollo program, and his passion for 1) using NASA’s relationship with universities “to foster NASA-based social economic progress,” 2) using NASA’s system management processes to solve the social ills of America, 3) and then adds himself the possibility of using NASA’s processes to solve climate change. This grandiose view of the space program’s ability to influence every and any problem seems to me as ungrounded in logic as an Apollo capsule coasting toward the moon is ungrounded from earth. It’s also a good example of the natural tendency of government toward an ever-expanding mission far exceeding its original. This would have been an excellent time to comment on the view from the right the author expressed up front. He failed to take it.
The chapter on space flight as religion was just strange.
He closes the book with three chapters on historic skepticism that the moon landing ever happened, a description of its infrastructure abandoned and neglected (wherein he could have addressed the “this is a waste of money views from the front," but did not), and a conclusion that doesn’t really match the tenor of the rest of the book.
Despite the narrative flaws of the book, there are many vignettes and stories within it that, particularly for one who lived through the era, bring back warm memories of the time and triumph that was the space race.
Alas, there are better books to evoke those memories.
July 23, 2019
Good non-technical summary of the legacy of the Apollo program with a focus on how society has chosen to view it from a macro viewpoint. The author provides a nice narrative of what Apollo meant for people at various times since it’a inception, even including the sentiments espoused by the moon landing hoaxer types, a most annoying breed of humanity in my opinion lol
May 21, 2019
A comprehensive look at the history of NASA’s Apollo program and its irrevocable impact on American society. As he considers the many perceptions of the moon landings . . . celebrated, criticized, denied . . . the author examines them in the light of key moments in the space race.
Carefully-researched, examining both the origins and the accomplishments of the Apollo program, the book highlights previously untold stories and insights of the program in the light of the Cold War as it offers a historical perspective on mankind’s steps away from planet Earth.
Highly recommended.
Carefully-researched, examining both the origins and the accomplishments of the Apollo program, the book highlights previously untold stories and insights of the program in the light of the Cold War as it offers a historical perspective on mankind’s steps away from planet Earth.
Highly recommended.
September 27, 2019
This book has a different perspective on the history of the Apollo missions, which is good because there are so many alternative books that already depict that history. Instead, the author is looking at program history through the lens of modern times. In other words, what impact did the Apollo program have on the present and more current history?
I didn't find all sections equally appealing, but I like the fact that the author chose that narrative framework and gave examples of people/groups adopting each view point. One of the more interesting perspectives are those who choose to believe that the moon landings never occurred. As a previous agency historian, the author has had good exposure to this grouping of people. He also illustrates how this viewpoint is baffling and disheartening to those who participated in the success of the Apollo program, yet it is something that needs to be addressed, as it is a growing reality (albeit still relatively small in numbers).
The book was a good way at looking at the impact of the Apollo program, and as a companion to other books that get into more of the meat of what happened during the program period.
I didn't find all sections equally appealing, but I like the fact that the author chose that narrative framework and gave examples of people/groups adopting each view point. One of the more interesting perspectives are those who choose to believe that the moon landings never occurred. As a previous agency historian, the author has had good exposure to this grouping of people. He also illustrates how this viewpoint is baffling and disheartening to those who participated in the success of the Apollo program, yet it is something that needs to be addressed, as it is a growing reality (albeit still relatively small in numbers).
The book was a good way at looking at the impact of the Apollo program, and as a companion to other books that get into more of the meat of what happened during the program period.
February 7, 2021
This could have been a reasonably good book, but far too many pages were wasted on garbage that doesn't deserve print, even if it does illustrate how much ignorance there is in the US.
April 20, 2021
This book is well-researched and well-written. Generally I really appreciated the overall approach of describing the different perspectives regarding American space exploration:opposition from the right (too expensive), from the left (we have social problems on earth that need money), and the conspiracy theorists. It is good to understand this opposition because it will be encountered again in similar forms as we look toward Mars. In this way I think this book is a more useful exercise than simply celebrating the past; it can help us make the case for space exploration moving forward.
I did struggle with parts of the book. Some chapters seemed to meander and revisit points already made. Describing political cartoons in words didn’t do much for me at all. I skipped those parts. Finally, I think too much time is devoted to the Apollo deniers. Understanding conspiracy theorists is no doubt a critical endeavor (look at the COVID situation) but the target audience here is Apollo believers. Watching a NASA historian dunk on tin foil hat types gets old after a while! They obviously get under his skin though.
One anecdote that stood out to me was MLK’s successor marching to the Apollo 11 site in protest. I was struck by how civil the exchange was with James Webb. I wish people would listen like that people they disagree with these days. Also, that kind of pushback I think is especially likely in the near future.
I did struggle with parts of the book. Some chapters seemed to meander and revisit points already made. Describing political cartoons in words didn’t do much for me at all. I skipped those parts. Finally, I think too much time is devoted to the Apollo deniers. Understanding conspiracy theorists is no doubt a critical endeavor (look at the COVID situation) but the target audience here is Apollo believers. Watching a NASA historian dunk on tin foil hat types gets old after a while! They obviously get under his skin though.
One anecdote that stood out to me was MLK’s successor marching to the Apollo 11 site in protest. I was struck by how civil the exchange was with James Webb. I wish people would listen like that people they disagree with these days. Also, that kind of pushback I think is especially likely in the near future.
September 2, 2022
A good retrospective on the Apollo program and what it meant (and continues to mean) for NASA and human space exploration in the United States. The beginning chapters end asking some interesting, thought provoking, questions but by the middle 1/3 it felt like it was getting repetitive. I actively had to fight my eyes and brain from skimming segments of the last 1/3 I felt I had read multiple times in the work.
It's certainly not all bad though. The author is smart and pulls many relevant and interesting support for what he's trying to convey. This is also the part I will say that the inclusion of "Moon Landing Hoax" conspiracy theorists is admirable and interesting. Most books like this would skip them over but Launius takes the time to meet this head on and I applaud him for that, even if arguing their points again in written form must have been excruciating.
Overall it's not a bad book, not great either. I'm certainly glad I read it. Coincidentally I am reading this right before the launch of the next moon program from NASA, Artemis. It provides a perspective and something to contrast while giving me questions from Apollo I will certainly ask myself during the life of the Artemis program.
It's certainly not all bad though. The author is smart and pulls many relevant and interesting support for what he's trying to convey. This is also the part I will say that the inclusion of "Moon Landing Hoax" conspiracy theorists is admirable and interesting. Most books like this would skip them over but Launius takes the time to meet this head on and I applaud him for that, even if arguing their points again in written form must have been excruciating.
Overall it's not a bad book, not great either. I'm certainly glad I read it. Coincidentally I am reading this right before the launch of the next moon program from NASA, Artemis. It provides a perspective and something to contrast while giving me questions from Apollo I will certainly ask myself during the life of the Artemis program.
October 4, 2023
A book on the history of the Apollo program written by a former NASA historian and put on a prominent library display. Must be great, right? Wrong.
The book has an interesting recap of the original Apollo Moon landing and brief profiles on the astronauts involved. Then the author announces how he is going to tell the different perspectives on the program-then and now-from the left and the right, for and against the Apollo program, as well as "nutcase" views on how the Moon landing was all a hoax. Unfortunately, he gabbles on and repeats himself to the point where I was losing interest in the book. He mentions how Cold War politics prompted Kennedy to decide to land men on the Moon, especially since the Soviets managed to be the first ones into space, and that there was not unanimous public support for the program in general. All old hat, really, and what I read has already been covered more thoroughly in other books I read about the Apollo program.
The question of "was it worth it", in fact, was answered in other books I already read, and it did impress the world, both friends and enemies, and was actually cheaper than other major government programs, which this book fails to mention. Look at other books instead.
The book has an interesting recap of the original Apollo Moon landing and brief profiles on the astronauts involved. Then the author announces how he is going to tell the different perspectives on the program-then and now-from the left and the right, for and against the Apollo program, as well as "nutcase" views on how the Moon landing was all a hoax. Unfortunately, he gabbles on and repeats himself to the point where I was losing interest in the book. He mentions how Cold War politics prompted Kennedy to decide to land men on the Moon, especially since the Soviets managed to be the first ones into space, and that there was not unanimous public support for the program in general. All old hat, really, and what I read has already been covered more thoroughly in other books I read about the Apollo program.
The question of "was it worth it", in fact, was answered in other books I already read, and it did impress the world, both friends and enemies, and was actually cheaper than other major government programs, which this book fails to mention. Look at other books instead.
July 2, 2024
so incredibly basic, surface level listing of commonly accepted opinions about NASA, and space travel in general. I don't know what I expected, repeated itself a lot in every chapter, I know a lot about space, and space travel history but it really went no where over and over again. in the prologue set up like it would have some analysis, thoughts, take-aways about how the apollo missions happened, and influenced culture as the decades passed, which I guess it did the barest level of that? over and over again the only real thoughts boiled down to: 1. the missions happened, they were super cool, here's some details about who/what/when/how 2. some conservatives didn't like it because it spent money that could've been better spent elsewhere (less government spending in general), 3. some on the left didn't like it because it spent money that could've spent better elsewhere (social programs), 4. some people don't believe it happened, aren't they crazy? just boring! say anything else! you won't believe how many times those talking points came up and it never evolved into any other format of analysis, bad!
it's not the worst thing in the world, author obviously loves space history, some nice writing on how cool and amazing space is, big agree on that
it's not the worst thing in the world, author obviously loves space history, some nice writing on how cool and amazing space is, big agree on that
December 29, 2025
I have always been interested in the U.S. space program, and have had my share of debates with people who don't believe we ever landed on the moon, and that we shouldn't put money into space exploration. Roger D. Launius, former NASA historian, goes through several different viewpoints and outcomes of the lunar missions, addressing various aspects of this divisive topic. He even devotes an entire chapter the the moon landing deniers, prompting me to consider purchasing this book for a few people I know and love.
Much of the book covers things I already know, including the idea that the Apollo program was prompted by and widely supported because of the Cold War - getting to the moon before Russia would serve as proof of "American exceptionalism" and promote the United States as the top superpower.
One thing I didn't remember reading about elsewhere is that, as part of their training, the Apollo astronauts were taught photography techniques because part of their job would be to take the photographs that later became iconic documentation of their missions.
Much of the book covers things I already know, including the idea that the Apollo program was prompted by and widely supported because of the Cold War - getting to the moon before Russia would serve as proof of "American exceptionalism" and promote the United States as the top superpower.
One thing I didn't remember reading about elsewhere is that, as part of their training, the Apollo astronauts were taught photography techniques because part of their job would be to take the photographs that later became iconic documentation of their missions.
March 18, 2023
(3.5 stars) The Apollo missions came to define so much for America, but there is far from one way to look at those missions. Some would consider it one of the greatest achievements for America, if not all of humanity. Others would regard it as a collective waste of resources, arguing that the money, time and talent that went into the Apollo program would have been better served solving other problems. Then you have those who view the Apollo program, primarily the moon landing as a hoax. In this work, the author tries to give equal billing in what he views as a fair hearing. He doesn’t buy the hoax argument, but he at least gives it a hearing to show how they see it. Otherwise, this is a bit of a survey work that offers some new perspectives on the Apollo legacy. Would be interesting to see if there is a new section for the Artemis missions slated to start in 2024. A decent read, but maybe not one to outright own.
August 18, 2019
Brilliant.
Theres a plethora of books out this year, celebrating the 50th anniversary, but this really stood out. I enjoyed so much reading and now better understand the politics / context of the sixties. Roger Lunies clearly explains how both the left and right of politics objected to the Apollo program, especially on cost. However the JFK vision continued to drive the program to succeed by the "end of the decade" deadline.
The book describes so well the many facets of the Apollo program, and from perspectives that rarely get much serious attention. The chapters about “Applying Knowledge from Apollo to This-World Problems", “A Moment in Time” & "Abandoned in Place” were especially fascinating. It is also helpful to read a thoughtful reflection on the deniers.
Theres a plethora of books out this year, celebrating the 50th anniversary, but this really stood out. I enjoyed so much reading and now better understand the politics / context of the sixties. Roger Lunies clearly explains how both the left and right of politics objected to the Apollo program, especially on cost. However the JFK vision continued to drive the program to succeed by the "end of the decade" deadline.
The book describes so well the many facets of the Apollo program, and from perspectives that rarely get much serious attention. The chapters about “Applying Knowledge from Apollo to This-World Problems", “A Moment in Time” & "Abandoned in Place” were especially fascinating. It is also helpful to read a thoughtful reflection on the deniers.
August 8, 2019
I picked this for July’s 50th anniversary to gain a broad perspective on the missions from the perspective of this well known historian of spaceflight - it’s an excellent and easy read, I went through it in under a week, a record for me :) I thoroughly enjoyed his deep insights, humor, and broad sweep of commentary involving the political, scientific, sociological reasons and results from the Apollo missions, and he includes a chapter on the small group of noisy outliers of landing deniers with some erudite comments.
October 27, 2023
There’s a good bit of information here, but it’s bogged down with a lot of filler (which is saying something given the short size of the book). Lanius’ passion for space flight is evident throughout the book, and that passion almost makes up for how dry it can get in places.
Overall I’d recommend this book to someone who is interested in learning about the moon landings, and also has no cursory knowledge to go off of.
Overall I’d recommend this book to someone who is interested in learning about the moon landings, and also has no cursory knowledge to go off of.
October 3, 2019
An interesting, if meandering, book. The author was the chief historian for NASA and there is a bot of bias that shows through in the book, though not enough to derail it. Each chapter reads fairly independently of the others as if they were originally their own articles. The writing is fairly engaging in most place, though it is a little uneven in others.
July 2, 2023
A lot of it was quite interesting, except for the spaceflight is religion chapter...which was more akin to a tangent than anything. I understand what he was going for and why the comparison was being made, but it lost the thread of 'larger perspective' and seemingly became more of a personal connection.
May 30, 2019
Fifty years after the lunar landing, Roger Launius's work provides the cornerstone for understanding the impact and importance of the Apollo program. The author is one of the leading historians of NASA and the space race.
June 2, 2019
Launius's account of how the space race became contested ground among four major accounts by those who would laud it, critique it from the right and left, or deny it makes for compelling reading, and his credentials as a space historian give it weight.
June 12, 2019
On the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, Launius provides a nice analysis of what it meant, then and now.
July 30, 2019
Interesting read.
January 28, 2020
Interesting to learn about different perspectives on multiple facets of the Apollo program. Particularly enjoyed the Astronaut and the denial chapter.
May 12, 2020
Fascinating, but a little dry
October 18, 2022
Great great book about an Amazing technical advance in that time in the world
February 25, 2023
An interesting look back at what the effects of the apollo program were. Was the money worth it just to send 12 guys to walk on the moon? That is what this book is about.
November 18, 2019
Informative and well-researched, but I found it rather dry almost throughout the entirety of the book. If you're interested in the cultural and political history of the Apollo program, you might give it a read, but don't expect it to be thrilling by any stretch of the imagination.
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