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 the aftermath of the Moon Landing and how NASA tried to sustain support for the space program by taking key Apollo 11 artifacts on a cross-country tour.
Episode & Banner Image: Display of moon rocks collecting during NASA Apollo missions at the Missouri State Capitol, 2019 [Courtesy of Sean Rost]
This episode focuses on Walter Cronkite and his rise from a Kansas City Star paperboy to one of the most trusted figures in journalism, especially when it came to all things NASA. We'll also re-live—through the memories of residents across the state—the culmination of the space race and the first steps on the moon.
Episode Image: Print of American flag being planted on the moon, 1969 [Ruby Rose Stauber Photographs (SP0014), SHSMO]
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]
This episode focuses on an astronomer—Edwin Hubble—and a mathematician—Dorothy Vaughan—who grew up in Missouri, but later achieved international acclaim in their respective fields.
Episode Image: A group standing near a telescope, 1939 [Arthur Witman Photograph Collection (S0717), SHSMO]
