What if there had been social media during the Apollo 8 mission to the Moon in 1968?
This mission would be the longest and most perilous journey ever attempted by man. This account will put you believably back inside those six tense and dramatic days over Christmas in 1968. It is the story of the first manned mission to the Moon told in the form of today's social media, allowing us to witness the unfolding drama of the mission as if we were following it in real time and as if the participants and observers were sharing their thoughts and actions with us directly.
In December 1968, so much remained unknown.
Would the first manned launch of the massive Saturn V rocket lift off and successfully and deliver three astronauts into Earth orbit? Would humans be able to survive passing through the Van Allen belts of radiation between the Earth and the Moon? What would happen when the astronauts passed around the far side of the Moon out of contact with Earth? Would the single engine needed to boost the spacecraft out of lunar orbit and on a course back to Earth fire as hoped? Would the first nighttime recovery of a spacecraft from the Pacific Ocean be successful?
If the Apollo 8 mission was to be successful, the astronauts on board would become the first humans to travel so incredibly far and so incredibly fast. They would be the first to leave the Earth's sphere of influence and the first to see the whole planet Earth from space. They would be the first to orbit the Moon, first to set eyes on the far side of the Moon and the first humans to witness the spectacular Earthrise over the lunar landscape.
The narrative of this account is based on actual astronaut recollections, NASA transcripts of the fascinating continual communications with the astronauts, broadcasts of the main TV networks covering the mission and the thoughts of many laypeople observers. There is an extensive list of major sources at the end of the book.
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THE BEGINNING
May 25, 1961
John F. Kennedy (1917–1963)
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (often referred to as JFK, and ‘Jack’ to family and close friends) became the youngest ever elected president of the United States following his election in 1960. Although he was assassinated before he could complete his first term in office, Kennedy is credited with setting the wheels in motion for the wildly ambitious program to achieve a manned Moon landing before the end of the 1960s. He formally announced this momentous goal to a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961.
John F. Kennedy @JFKennedy
I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.
John F. Kennedy @JFKennedy
We propose to accelerate the development of the appropriate lunar space craft. We propose to develop alternate liquid and solid fuel boosters, much larger than any now being developed.
John F. Kennedy @JFKennedy
We propose additional funds for other developments - explorations which are particularly important for one purpose which this nation will never overlook: the survival of the man who first makes this daring flight.
John F. Kennedy @JFKennedy
No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.
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Italian
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Translation in progress.
Translated by David Abraham
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Portuguese
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Translation in progress.
Translated by Carla Sofia
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by Federico Renzi
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Author review: Excellent! |
