Fifty years ago this summer—1969 to be exact—the space race pitting the United States against the Soviet Union was reaching the proverbial finish line. The only question that remained was: Who would land on the Moon first? During our special Summer Series, we will explore the history behind the contributions made by Americans—and more specifically, Missourians—to not only explore the far reaches of space, but also to land a person on the Moon.
This episode focuses on James S. McDonnell and the inner workings of McDonnell Aircraft during Project Mercury and Project Gemini.
Episode Image: President John F. Kennedy and James S. McDonnell, Jr. inspect a Project Gemini capsule, St. Louis, Missouri, 1962 [McDonnell Space Program in St. Louis Collection (S0759), SHSMO]
