There’s something profoundly disappointing about the fact that it was Richard Nixon who presided over the entire Apollo period as US President. Dicky was always tricky, even before Watergate brought him down. The optimism and promise that defined Kennedy and the 1960s, and that helped in no small way to launch the Apollo program itself, was thoroughly dissipated by the 1970s and went into total reverse after 1974. I can’t help but wonder if Nixon’s personal and political cynicism helped to end Apollo in 1972, as he both personified and contributed to a public atmosphere that was the exact opposite of Kennedy’s go-ahead 1960s’ ‘we can do anything’ vibe.
Given the state of the world now, it seems unlikely that same enthusiasm for all things space can be harnessed to ensure a speedy return to the moon. However, perhaps just such a ‘grand adventure’ is exactly what is needed to distract everyone from their more Earthbound cares?
Image Credit: NASA
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