Xref: utzoo sci.space:31859 sci.astro:13903 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!ogicse!sequent!muncher.sequent.com!szabo From: szabo@sequent.com Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro Subject: Re: IGY and the dawn of the Space Age Message-ID: <1991Jun18.160902.24753@sequent.com> Date: 18 Jun 91 16:09:02 GMT References: <140789@unix.cis.pitt.edu> <1991Jun17.235158.16273@sequent.com> Sender: news@sequent.com (News on Muncher) Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. Lines: 56 In article jmc@cs.Stanford.EDU writes: >...The expectation of NASA and the >Kennedy Administration was that success with Apollo would >result in public enthusiasm for further manned exploration. Which turned out to be completely wrong, as the funding precipitously declined during Apollo. Did NASA learn the lesson? Sadly, no. >However, by the time of the first moon landing, the mood of the media >had completely changed. The media is part of the U.S. body politic, right? If you can't influence the media, you are going to have a much tougher time convincing the citizens. >For example, Life Magazine chose as their >main writer about the effort Norman Mailer. Who put out some of the most poetic prose ever written about space. Most of the stuff the astronauts said ("Gee, Earth looks beautiful from up here!") is downright silly by comparison. You forgot to mention David Bowie, who wrote "Space Oddity" around this time: For here I am Floating in a tin can Far above the world Planet Earth is blue And there's nothing I can do Bowie captured the essence of the uselessness of launching pilots in tin cans. This remains the most popular song about the 60's era spaceflights, and it is especially popular with intellectuals and opinion makers. The media, a good chunk of the American public, scientists, space explorers, space defense and commercial space industry understood. The NASA leadership still doesn't get it. >Recall that George McGovern said that if he were elected President in >1972 and if Apollo were launched in late December before he took >office, there wouldn't be any aircraft carriers to pick up the >astronauts after he took office. I think it was a joke. There is no doubt that McGovern, and the more popular politicians such as Humphrey, Proxmire, Mondale, et. al. would have trashed NASA completely as a response to the percieved waste of Apollo. When you spend billions on a highly visible government project, you become a target. -- Nick Szabo szabo@sequent.com Embrace Change... Keep the Values... Hold Dear the Laughter... These views are my own, and do not represent any organization.