Roger D. Launius and J. D. Hunley

“ Rockets, Missiles, and Men in Space. New York: Viking Press, 1968. This is the fourth and final edition of 21 printings of the work first published as Rockets. It emphasizes the possibilities of space flight as a reality rather than science fiction. Ley came to the U.S. in 1935, and this book became of the most significant textbooks available in the mid-twentieth century on the possibilities of space travel. Once again, the book emphasizes the importance of a trip to the Moon as the first step by humanity off the Earth and into the universe. ”

“ This and related efforts were critical in increasing public belief in the possibility of reaching the Moon, although it took the launching of Sputnik by the Soviets to propel the United States to establish a space program and the election of John F. Kennedy as president to establish a landing on the Moon within a decade as the goal of the Apollo program. Here, von Braun provided details about a space station he envisioned as "either the greatest force for peace ever devised, or one of the most terrible weapons of war--depending on who makes and controls it." ”

“ Bainbridge asserts that "Not the public will, but private fanaticism drove men to the moon" (p. 1) . The book's strength rests on Bainbridge's analysis of the American and British Interplanetary Societies, the science fiction subculture, the "Committee of the Future" (1970-1974) of the World Future Society, and the role of "fandom" in promoting spaceflight. This type of analysis, while useful, is not carefully tied to the development of public policy relating to the space program. ”

“ In this book a senior science fiction writer provided both fiction and non- fiction in one of the more representative attempts to build realistic expectations of space travel. Although largely concerned with space technology, the sequence of chapters in this influential book laid out a blueprint for the future of space exploration that included a lunar landing on the Moon and eventual colonies. ”

“ In this article Alex Roland, a leading critic of NASA's human spaceflight program, argues that NASA is wedded to a large and expensive astronaut program, despite budgetary and program realities, because of its longstanding vision of what the space program should be. ”

“ Applying the concept of American civil religion--a set of values and ethical beliefs--to Project Apollo, the author finds that the effort revealed an important link between science and technology, religion, and American self-understanding. He suggests that Apollo participants tied religion and science together in a surprising way. ”

“ In this article the author challenges the traditional interpretation that science fiction informs the reader about science and propagandiz- es in favor of technological progress. Instead, he finds that new schools of science fiction sometimes promulgate entirely different sets of values based on an anti- technology bias. Even so, Bainbridge documents the close linkage between science fiction as a promoter of spaceflight and other technological advances. Such a linkage was present in the Apollo program of the 1960s. ”

“ A German emigr‚, Ley labored to convince interested readers that rockets would soon be able to carry humans off the surface of the Earth and to the Moon. This was one of the earliest books on rocketry for the general American public, serving as a basic reference source for future science fiction and reality writing. ”

“ This fine article hits home to the heart of the American sense of pioneering and argues that the next great challenge in this arena is space. "A nation that loses its forward thrust is in danger," he comments ”

“ These groups lobbied with Congress and used publicity to support the space effort, not always with the expected results, however. Their intent was to turn ideas and a diffuse pro- space sentiment into legislation aimed at building support for NASA's program. This book represents the first systematic attempt to analyze the space booster efforts of the latter 1960s and the 1970s, and although a fine contribution, it should not be the final word on the subject. ”

“ New York: H.N. Abrams, 1971. A collection of 258 paintings and drawings in reproduction, created by a variety of artists ranging from Norman Rockwell to Chesley Bonestell. A magnificent and variegated collection. ”

“ Discusses the general history of Apollo and then makes a case for the continuation of an aggressive space exploration program.
Horrigan, Brian. "Popular Culture and Visions of the Future in Space, 1901-2001." In Sinclair, Bruce. Editor. New Perspectives on Technology and American Culture. (Philadelphia: The American Philosophical Society, 1986) . Pp. 49-67. A sophisticated treatment of the influence of popular culture upon the space program, including Apollo, with treatment of science fiction in literature, the movies, and television. ”