After Apollo? - (Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology) by John M Logsdon (Hardcover)

About the Book

"On July 20, 1969, U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong took 'one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.' The success of the Apollo 11 mission satisfied the goal that had been set by President John F. Kennedy just over eight years earlier - 'before this decade is out, landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.' It also raised the question 'What do you do next, after landing on the Moon?'It fell to President Richard M. Nixon to answer this question. After Apollo? Richard Nixon and the American Space Program traces in detail how Nixon and his associates went about developing their response. The decisions made then have defined the U.S. program of human space flight well into the twenty-first century. Those choices have thus had a much more lasting impact than did John Kennedy's 1961 decision to go to the Moon. The factors leading to Kennedy's decision are well understood, but that is not the case with respect to space policy-making under President Nixon. This study provides that understanding, and thus fills in the details of a crucial period in the history of the United States space program, and particularly of its human space flight element"--

Book Synopsis

Once the United States landed on the moon in July 1969, it was up to President Nixon to decide what to do in space after Apollo. This book chronicles the decisions he made, including ending space exploration and approving the space shuttle. Those decisions determined the character of the US human space flight program for the next forty years.

Review Quotes

"Logsdon (emer., George Washington Univ.) does a nice job of telling the story of what the US wanted to do in space after project Apollo. ... The book includes halftone photographs and bibliographic references in lieu of a formal bibliography. Summing Up: Recommended. Researchers, professionals, general readers." (J. Z. Kiss, Choice, Vol. 53 (5), January, 2016)

About the Author

John M. Logsdon is a world-recognized historian and analyst of space issues. His award winning Palgrave book, John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon (2010) received a wide range of positive reviews. Dr. Logsdon is Professor Emeritus at The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, and was the founder and long-time Director of GW's Space Policy Institute.