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Jordan Harvey

Dr. Cassel

English 101

27 July 2019

Mankind Worthy of Money

On the morning of July 20th, 1969, man accomplished the unthinkable. In an effort to

dominate the great space race against the Soviet Union, the United States became the first nation

to land a man on the moon. This was the most advanced mission that the world had ever seen,

and it is a moment in history that still affects the world today. The first moon landing is one of

the most influential events in history, because of how greatly it has impacted our sense of

nationalism, how it has advanced the world of science and technology, and how it has redefined

the meaning of hope in society.

Following World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union faced off in the

conflicting period known as the Cold War. This was a war that did not take place on a battlefield.

Instead, the two powerhouse nations competed to become the most dominant nation

scientifically, technologically, and militarily (History.com). One of the most heated battles the

two nations fought was known as the space race. The race began in 1957, when the Soviet Union

launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite ever launched into space (Kolbe). The United States

urgently fought to top this accomplishment. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy decided that the

US would aim to land a man on the moon, a scientific accomplishment that the world had never

seen before (Benson 1). He gave a powerful speech to Congress, stating that “I believe that this

nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on
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the moon and returning him safely to earth.” Congress and the majority of the US population

supported him.

The mission seemed impossible, and many people viewed it as a waste of time and

money, arguing that “we’re going to go broke with this nonsense.” However, the mission

proceeded, and the government ended up spending 28 million dollars to develop the Apollo

program (Harwood 1). On the morning of July 20th, 1969, after eight years of preparation, US

astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins went forth on this historic

mission (Freedman 58). Nearly running out of fuel and crashing as they descended upon the

moon, the members of the mission control center held their breath as they waited for

confirmation from the astronauts of the first successful moon landing. After nerve wrecking

silence, the message rang through the speakers, indicating that history had been made -

“Houston, the Eagle has landed.” (Botkin-Kowacki 1). Apollo 11 successfully landed, and the

United States had officially landed the first man on the moon.

Fig. 1. Man first steps foot on the moon (“1969 Moon Landing”)
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Initially, the idea to land a man on the moon was more of a political powermove to unite

a feuding nation rather than a mission for scientific discovery. The day that President Kennedy

declared the mission to the moon, he united the American people following the chaotic time

period of the civil rights movement (History.com). Tensions were still high, and racial inequality

was still a heated topic that continued to divide the United States. However, the moon landing

mission became the new focus of the nation, and it started bringing people together after years of

conflict and separation. Landing the first man on the moon was the ultimate showcase of power

and technological advancement, and it was an accomplishment that the Soviet Union was unable

to replicate or top (Lowman 1). The United States experienced an overwhelming sense of

nationalism and pride following the moon landing. The mission brought the nation together as

Americans - differences in race and beliefs and political identities were pushed to the side for the

first time ever, and the sense of pride in our nation and the major accomplishment we were about

to achieve became the main focus of the nation.

Many people argue that landing three white men on the moon was just another example

of racial inequality in the United States during that time, and that it did the opposite of uniting

the nation. Some civil rights activists protested the mission because they believed that the money

that was spent on the Apollo program could have been spent to feed, cloth, and house, the

overwhelmingly large population of African Americans living in poverty during that time period

(History.com). Ralph Abernathy led a group of over 500 civil rights activists in a protest against

the moon mission just days before taking off. Protestors carried signs reading, “$12 a day to feed

an astronaut, we could feed a child for $8”, and sang “We Shall Overcome”, as they peacefully
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gathered outside of the Kennedy Space Center (History. com).

Fig. 2. Protestors outside of Kennedy Space Center (Bettman Archive)

The moon landing was not a mission that was backed by every single American, and it

was a topic that did add tension to a heated time in US history. However, the money that was

spent on the mission could not have resolved the poverty and inequality that the African

American community faced during that time. Thomas Paine, the administrator of NASA at that

time, addressed the Abernathy protest on July 15th, 1969 (History.com). Paine explained that if

NASA could use the money to save everyone suffering in the country, they would. He promised

to use the knowledge and technological advances that they had gained from the mission to better

the world in every way that they could. Years following the moon landing, he kept his promises,

and the moon landing did help resolve some of the issues that people were protesting for, and

those efforts were some of the first real attempts at aiding struggling African Americans. The

science that was used on the moon mission was able to be carried over on earth to measure urban
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air pollution and improve insulation of public housing for those in need (History.com). The

benefits of the moon landing continued to be received many years after the mission was

complete, and it has continued to prove itself to be one of the greatest unifiers during the civil

rights era.

The moon landing was a scientific milestone that changed the world of science forever.

The Apollo missions gave scientists a whole new view of the Earth. They discovered how much

the moon affects our planet, because the two are “intimately connected, dancing through space in

tandem” (Botkin-Kowacki 1). The rocks and matter that were studied during this mission were

able to give scientists a better understanding of major ideas in astronomy such as how the Earth

and the moon were created and evolved, which has helped give them a better idea of what the

future may hold for the universe. The knowledge that NASA gained from this mission has

become the backbone of the research aimed at solving major issues here on earth, such as global

warming (Botkin-Kowacki 1).

Many people do not see the vital impact that the moon landing had on science. These

people question whether or not it was worth spending over 28 million dollars on a mission that

taught scientists a little bit more about stars and planets. The fascinating thing about the moon

landing is how it has impacted modern day medicine, which is an area of science that immensely

impacts the lives of everybody, not just astronomers. The medical field gained crucial knowledge

about radiation following the mission. One of the biggest challenges scientists faced when

planning the Apollo 11 mission was how to manage and protect the astronauts from the intense

radiation levels on the moon. Radiation plays a major role in radiation therapy for cancer

patients, and it is also used with the medical equipment and tests such as MRIs and CAT scans,
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which are used to help doctors diagnose injuries and illnesses (Lee 3). Modern medicine would

be nothing without the discoveries made from the first moon landing.

The aspect of human life that was the most dramatically affected by the moon landing

was people’s outlook on the world, and the idea of hope. The moon landing was viewed by many

as impossible - just an unattainable dream that will not come true. The successful mission created

the idea known as a “moon shot” - a goal that is seemingly impossible, but the entire nation

comes together and puts forth every resource and effort to make it happen (Schwartz 1). The

world was changed forever the second man first stepped foot on the moon. Although it was a

historic moment for the United States, the whole world was affected that day. Today, a cure for

cancer and a solution to global warming are all moon shots - they seem unattainable, yet the

world continues to fight for these goals. The moon landing keeps pushing society to believe and

fight for the impossible until some day, man discovers a cure for cancer and saves the dying

planet and every other moonshot the world imagines. The longest lasting result of the moon

landing is the sense of hope and fight for discovery that it instilled in society, which will

ultimately allow the human race to continue to evolve and survive.

One of the biggest critiques of the moon landing project is how the money that was spent

on the mission could have been spent on helping those in need. Most critics and social reformers

view the mission as a complete waste of resources. Whitney Young, president of the National

Urban League, exclaimed that even just a fraction of the money and resources that were spent on

the moon landing could resolved poverty in the United States (Benson 2). This argument depicts

the moon landing as a hope crusher for those in need, and that is not accurate. There is not any

amount of money that could permanently solve poverty forever. Poverty is something that is

systematically and economically induced, and no amount of government dollars will be able to
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eliminate poverty alone (Jordan 22). However, the moon landing gave everybody hope, and

encouraged people to keep believing no matter what hardships they were experiencing. Michael

Collins reflected on his trip to the moon, referring to it as “a wonderful achievement in the sense

that people everywhere around the planet applauded it: north, south, east, west, rich, poor,

Communist, whatever” (Dunbar). The moon landing did not end poverty and world hunger, but it

brought everyone together for one moment to experience an American dream come true with a

single foot step.

It has been fifty years since man first stepped foot on the moon and the world continues

to evolve as a result of that achievement. It is hard to imagine what the world would be like if

that ground breaking event never occurred - politics, modern medicine, and our understanding of

science and life as we know it would all be different. The moon landing was a moment in history

that resulted in a ripple effect that will continue on forever. It has paved ways in all areas of

science and it has reshaped people’s outlook on the entire world.

Work Cited

Benson, Eric. “One Small Step for Mankind: Was Apollo 11 a Beginning or an End?” Texas

Monthly, vol. 47, no. 7, July 2019, pp. 18-26. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=137227156&site=ehost-

live.Bettman Archive. History.com, 4 July 2019,

https://www.history.com/news/apollo-11-moon-landing-launch-protests

Dunbar, Brian. “Our First Lunar Program: What Did We Get from Apollo?” NASA, NASA,

2007, www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/series/moon/first_lunar_program.html.
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Editors, History.com. “The Space Race.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 22 Feb.

2010,

www.history.com/topics/cold-war/space-race.

Eva Botkin-Kowacki Staff writer. “Apollo 11 at 50: How the Moon Landing Changed the

World.” Christian Science Monitor, 16 July 2019, p. N.PAG. EBSCOhost,

Search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?d

Jordan, Gregory. The Causes of Poverty Cultural vs. Structural: Can There Be a Synthesis?

2004, pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8fb8/95114065cfd4464821cac28a56aec3868ae7.pdf.

Kolbe, Kerry. “Space Race Timeline: a Battle beyond Earth.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media

Group, 3 Feb. 2017, www.telegraph.co.uk/films/hidden-figures/space-race-events-

timeline/.irect=true&db=a9h&AN=137496541&site=ehost-live

Lee, Bruce Y. “What The Apollo 11 Moon Landing Did For Medicine And You.” Forbes,

Forbes

Magazine, 20 July 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2019/07/20/what-the-apollo-11-

moon-landing-did-for-medicine-and-you/#13f029557869.

“1969 Moon Landing”. History.com, 4 August 2019,

https://www.history.com/topics/space-exploration/moon-landing-1969