Artistic representation of the quasar P172 + 18 (Credit: ESO / M. Kornmesser)
Tonight I had the pleasure of speaking with Teasel Muir-Harmony, curator of the Project Apollo collection at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, about the history of the Apollo missions and the role politics has had in setting space policy.
In her new book, OPERATION MOONGLOW: A Political History of Project Apollo, Teasel 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 cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961, and a humiliating defeat at the Bay of Pigs days later, President John F. Kennedy proposed Project Apollo as a solution to restoring 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.”
In addition to her duties at the Smithsonian, Teasel teaches at Georgetown University. She is the author of Apollo to the Moon: A History in 50 Objects and is also a contributor to the television series Apollo’s Moon Shot. She lives in Washington, DC.
To learn more about OPERATION MOONGLOW, including how to can get your copy, visit the Basic Books website.
Be sure to follow Teasel on Twitter to stay up to date with her.
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Produced by Nancy Graziano.
Cheese for today’s tasting proudly provided by Dom’s Cheese Shop.
Hosted by Paul M. Sutter, astrophysicist and the one and only Agent to the Stars.
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