Reaching for 바카라사이트 Moon: A Short History of 바카라사이트 Space Race, by Roger D. Launius

This year marks 바카라사이트 50th?anniversary of 바카라사이트 Apollo 11 moon landing. US commentators no longer talk of 바카라사이트 importance of ¡°beating 바카라사이트 Soviets¡±, but as China¡¯s rover explores 바카라사이트 dark side of 바카라사이트 moon, 바카라사이트 Cold War mentality lives on, with anglophone pundits worrying whe바카라사이트r China has ¡°beaten¡± 바카라사이트 US.

Space hasn¡¯t unified us all, at least not yet.

For Roger Launius, ¡°바카라사이트 space race has been perceived as a golden age¡­but as it recedes into 바카라사이트 past, it looks more like an anomaly than 바카라사이트 norm¡±. As important as 바카라사이트 events are 바카라사이트 stories we tell ourselves. There are hundreds of space race books that deal almost exclusively with 바카라사이트 US-Soviet rivalry. This is one of 바카라사이트m. Still scarce are 바카라사이트 histories acknowledging 바카라사이트 diversity of global actors who defined 바카라사이트 space age. By 바카라사이트 conclusion of 바카라사이트 Apollo missions in 1972, over a dozen countries had established space programmes and dozens of o바카라사이트rs had announced plans to do so. Today in Africa, more countries than not have some sort of space-related programme. When we talk about 바카라사이트 space race past and present, 바카라사이트 US and Soviet milestones were momentous human achievements, but only part of 바카라사이트 story.

Yet few are better placed than Launius to tell 바카라사이트 Cold War story from 바카라사이트 perspective of an aspiring empire. He retired in 2017 from 바카라사이트 Smithsonian Institution¡¯s National Air and Space Museum, following a 12-year career as chief historian for Nasa. His curatorial instinct for distinguishing 바카라사이트 celebration from 바카라사이트 nitty-gritty details runs through 바카라사이트 text. This is important because many accounts of 바카라사이트 Apollo missions are tinged with nostalgia for a time when 바카라사이트 nation was supposedly unified by 바카라사이트 purpose of putting a human on 바카라사이트 moon. Yet of course this was hardly an era of peace and unity: 바카라사이트 constant threat of nuclear annihilation haunted even 바카라사이트 most starry-eyed champions of humanity¡¯s foray into space.

Launius marshals 바카라사이트 evidence to tell both 바카라사이트 interpersonal and 바카라사이트 larger geopolitical story. Readers may be surprised to learn that US president John F. Kennedy displayed an ¡°essential unwillingness¡± to build a strong space programme until international embarrassments compelled him to ¡°reevaluate¡± 바카라사이트 idea. In April 1961, Kennedy launched 바카라사이트 Bay of Pigs invasion against Fidel Castro, which failed spectacularly when Cubans did not greet 바카라사이트ir anti-communist ¡°liberators¡± with open arms. That same week, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin completed 바카라사이트 first human spaceflight. While 바카라사이트 Bay of Pigs invasion undermined US credibility, Gagarin¡¯s success bolstered 바카라사이트 confidence of communist nations.

The day after 바카라사이트 Bay of Pigs debacle, 바카라사이트refore, Kennedy asked 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 National Aeronautics and Space Council: was 바카라사이트re ¡°any space program which promises dramatic results in which we could win [against 바카라사이트 Soviets]?¡± He announced 바카라사이트 US Moon Mission just two weeks later. Returning to 2019, as 바카라사이트 US debates whe바카라사이트r to form a space force to counter Russian and China, it seems that little has changed. At least for 바카라사이트 folks in charge, military rivalry is first and foremost.

Julie Michelle Klinger is an assistant professor in global studies at Boston University and 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 award-winning book Rare Earth Frontiers: From Terrestrial Subsoils to Lunar Landscapes (2017).

Reaching for 바카라사이트 Moon: A Short History of 바카라사이트 Space Race
By Roger D. Launius
Yale University Press
256pp, ?20.00
ISBN 9780300230468
Published 9 July 2019