Book Talk
On July 20th, 1969, over half of the world’s population tuned in to watch Neil Armstrong become the first human being to set foot on the Moon. While Armstrong’s iconic ‘small step’ is often remembered as a scientific triumph and a stunning victory for America in its space race with the Soviet Union, there is more to the Apollo story than meets the eye.
As well as signalling to the Soviets and the American public that US science and technology was second to none, Project Apollo was also about drawing newly independent nations into the American Cold War camp. For President John F. Kennedy, this meant using a bold commitment to space exploration as a way to demonstrate American excellence. For his successor, President Richard Nixon, it meant using the Apollo programme to sell a hopeful vision of planetary unity in a world that was both increasingly connected a