Encore: The Space Race | Photo Finish | 4
American History Tellers
The Disaster of the Apollo 11 Mission
William Sapphire was a speechwriter for President Nixon. On the advice of former astronaut Frank Borman, he wrote a backup address For the president to deliver in case the moon mission ended in tragedy. The contingency speech praised the Apollo 11 astronauts' exploration and sacrifice. But on July 16, 1969, an alarm light flashed Aldrin radioed in From 1202, Apollo 2 This is no bullshit, we're going to land on the moon. NASA's team of flight controllers sat with their eyes glued to their consoles Tensions were running high but Gene Krantz maintained his composure.
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