Keith’s note: FYI Sean Duffy: NASA pushes out narratives (issued from the White House) about winning the “second space race” to the Moon. OK, that seems like a straight forward story to tell. Having historians and storytellers explain this adventure would be smart. But you really can’t do that when your boss dumps on one of the greatest lunar popular storytellers i.e. Tom Hanks. Read the room. Just sayin’
Biologist, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Biologist and Payload integrator, Editor of NASAWatch.com and Astrobiology.com, Lapsed climber, Explorer, Synaesthete, Former Challenger Center board member... More by Keith Cowing
Tom Hanks is a few weeks older than I am. As for him, the Apollo program was a defining moment in shaping my future. It was also a globally recognized symbol of American greatness. To trash a man who highlighted the unmatched impact of that era is shameful and pathetic.
How in the heck are we going to be able to get to the moon if we keep dumping on each other?
I see reference to Tom Hanks and think of the HBO TV series on Apollo program produced in late 1990s. On particular episode was development of the LM which felt exactly dramatization of Tom Kelly’s book “Moon Lander” (it was published later). This episode and the book presented the challenges and eventual success. In stark contrast to what we are observing now in Artemis program. I remember as a young boy I knew exactly how we will land on the moon before it was done. These days I find the landing methods are very confusing.