Operation moonglow : a political history of Project Apollo

Operation moonglow A political history of Project Apollo

Teasel E. Muir-Harmony

Book - 2020

"On July 20th, 1969, over half of the world's population tuned in to witness the first lunar landing, waiting with bated breath as Neil Armstrong ventured outside the cabin door of Apollo 11 and declared "that's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." As the most expensive civilian scientific and technological program in American history, Project Apollo symbolized the unmatched prestige of American space exploration. Yet despite appearances, the project was never just about winning the Space Race, advancing scientific progress, or even conquering the final frontier. Instead, the ambitions of Project Apollo would ultimately reveal that the American government was more interested in establishing its s...uperiority much closer to home. In Operation Moonglow, Smithsonian curator Teasel Muir-Harmony explores how and why the moon landing became one of the most decisive geopolitical events of the 20th century. In the wake of the Soviet Union's pioneering launch of Sputnik in 1957 and a humiliating defeat at the Bay of Pigs four years later, President John F. Kennedy approached a budget-wary Congress with Project Apollo, an unconventional proposal that had the potential to restore America's tarnished geopolitical standing. With Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States approaching an all-time high, Kennedy argued that ramping up the space program would inspire global confidence in American excellence -- and might even persuade people in developing countries to pick American "freedom" over Soviet "tyranny." Following the successful return of Apollo 11, its illustrious crew embarked on a diplomatic tour around the world, celebrating the mission as an accomplishment for all of humanity. Meanwhile, the accompanying American officials used the trip as an opportunity to conduct secret meetings with influential heads of state, leveraging the space program's global popularity to advance American values and interests. More than just a history of spaceships, astronauts, and moon rocks, Operation Moonglow is a history of geopolitical maneuvering, of propaganda and public diplomacy, and -- above all -- of the intricate relationship between scientific innovation and national identity. Featuring first-hand accounts by Apollo astronauts, original interviews with USIA and NASA staff, and never-before-seen archival materials, Operation Moonglow is the definitive account of the Apollo mission -- and a fascinating look at how the Space Race shaped the contours of globalization and global interdependence"--

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Subjects
Project Apollo (U.S.) > History.
Space flight to the moon > History.
Space.
Science.
Astronauts.
History.
Genres
History
Published
New York : Basic Books 2020.
Language
English
Main Author
Teasel E. Muir-Harmony (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xiv, 367 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 285-350) and index.
ISBN
9781541699878
  • Introduction: Moonrise
  • The launch of the space race, 1946-1957
  • Sputnik and the politics of spaceflight, 1957
  • A space program for all humankind, 1958-1960
  • If we are to win the battle, 1960-1961
  • John Glenn and Friendship 7's "fourth orbit," 1961-1963
  • "The new explorers," 1963-1967
  • "Riders on the Earth together," 1968-1969
  • Making Apollo 11 for all humankind, 1969
  • One giant leap, July 16-July 24, 1969
  • Operation Moonglow, August 1969
  • Giantstep: the Apollo 11 diplomatic tour, 1969
  • Afterglow.
Review by Choice Review

Muir-Harmony, a curator at the National Air and Space Museum, offers a fascinating account of the US government's campaign to leverage civilian space programs in service of political objectives. Presidents Eisenhower through Nixon considered that the optimum way to restore international recognition for the superiority of democracy in the wake of Soviet space triumphs was to share subsequent US missions with the world as they occurred. With this objective, missions were broadcast or televised in real time. Capsules returned from space were exhibited nationally or sent for display abroad. Astronaut heroes went on world tours, presenting unscripted remarks and drawing immense crowds. The countries they visited were selected at the highest levels of government, and US Information Agency staff spared no effort in "advancing" the tours with promotional materials, exhibits, and even pre-launch NASA lab tours offered to influential foreign journalists. Nixon followed the Apollo 11 astronauts' tour (codenamed Operation Giantstep) with his own personal world tour (Operation Moonglow--hence this book's title) to bask in the astronauts' reflected glory while attempting to improve the country's wartime image overseas, seeking peace in Vietnam, and pursuing diplomatic relations with China. This text is authoritative, replete with anecdotes, and well referenced. Appropriate for any interested reader, it comes highly recommended! Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Stephen P Maran, American Astronomical Society

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Historian Muir-Harmony (Apollo to the Moon: A History in 50 Objects) digs deep into the archives of the U.S. space program to illuminate the U.S.-Soviet contest to reach the moon first and win global prestige. The narrative traces how, from the Eisenhower to Nixon administrations, the American government focused on the space program as a valuable propaganda tool in the Cold War. As the space race progressed, the United States Information Agency used American accomplishments in space to present an inspirational image of the U.S. abroad as a way to counteract widespread disapproval of the nation's handling of civil rights and the Vietnam War. With government strategists keen to avoid having the program perceived as militaristic, particularly in postcolonial nations the Soviet Union was keen to turn against the U.S., "the use of military uniforms or titles by US officials, even during the Mercury flights , was prohibited." The ambitious initiative ended in triumph, with 1969's "Giantstep" tour, which sent Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins around the world following the moon landing. Muir-Harmony also credits the Apollo program, through the worldwide attention it generated, for helping to propel the onset of cultural globalization through "its far-reaching circulation of icons and images." Readers will find this to be an impressive example of what well-executed government policy can achieve. (Nov.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Years before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first steps on the moon in 1969, President Dwight D. Eisenhower began to see space exploration as a way to win prestige in the world: a psychological and political battlefield during the Cold War. In this readable account, Muir-Harmony, curator of the Project Apollo collection at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and author of Apollo to the Moon, looks at the long-standing impact of space travel and exploration on diplomacy and globalization. The well-written narrative follows the early years of space exploration, from the Soviet Union successfully launching Sputnik in 1957 to John Glenn's Friendship 7 in 1962 to the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Offering perspective into the behind-the-scenes diplomacy that made Apollo 11 possible, the book includes recollections from some of the astronauts and crew that took part in this historic mission. Muir-Harmony effectively describes how space programs, especially those in the United States, were an attempt to win the hearts and minds of people and an effort to advance U.S. national interests during the mid-20th century. VERDICT Anyone interested in the early days of space exploration will be drawn to this fast-paced, accessible book.--Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen, Oregon Inst. of Technology, Portland

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

The history of America's moon landing viewed through the lens of political propaganda. Muir-Harmony, curator of the Project Apollo collection at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, writes that no one foresaw the worldwide acclaim that greeted the Soviet launch of Sputnik in October 1957. Within months, the world cheered a second, larger satellite containing a dog and then watched America's first satellite attempt explode on the launchpad. American media fumed, and polls revealed that nations throughout the globe considered the Soviet Union the leader in science and technology. By 1961, the Soviets had orbited a man, and newly elected President John F. Kennedy, reeling from the humiliation of the Bay of Pigs fiasco, proposed to send men to the moon. Innumerable books describe the technical details of Project Apollo, but the author maintains her focus on politics, which means that space buffs will find little new information. Emphasizing that the goal was restoring the United States' unchallenged world leadership, she delivers a knowledgeable, detailed, and overlong description of "the largest public relations campaign in world history." Muir-Harmony is clearly impressed with the effort, especially "the openness of the program, combined with the broad access afforded by television, radio, and newspaper coverage." All missions were broadcast live. Exhibits that toured the world featured the actual rockets, capsules, and technical specifics as well as films, pamphlets, photographs, and souvenirs. Foreign journalists received a VIP tour of American facilities and went home full of enthusiasm. The American plan, notes the author, eschewed flag-waving and sought to "treat the mission as an accomplishment of all humankind." Meanwhile, Soviet officials trotted out their cosmonauts but kept secret all of the details of their missions. In making her passionate case, Muir-Harmony devotes lengthy chapters to the minutiae of global astronaut publicity tours, sections that may overwhelm general readers but appeal to policy wonks. How America won hearts and minds through spaceflight--and succeeded, if only temporarily. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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