John Glenn, John Kennedy, and the Cold War: How Mercury Rising Changed the Game

amachinist: This book is about competition in many different arenas. When the USSR first launched Sputnik in 1957, the geopolitical cold war intensified. President Eisenhower was more interested in the reconnaissance that space satellites might supply than in exploring outer space or landing on the moon. He also feared the Russians might utilize space technology to launch ICBM's against the USA. A Senator from Texas, Lyndon Johnson convinced the President that a separate space agency should be founded and funded for ONLY peaceful purposes.

Another competition ensued when NASA selected the first class of seven astronauts: all white, all male, three from the Navy, three from the Air Force and one from the Marines, John Glenn. Who would be the first man to go into space? NASA created a competitive atmosphere among the seven. Glen wanted to be the first and he did not hide his ambition. NASA did not choose him.

John F. Kennedy used the Russian space launch against the GOP in his Presidential campaign claiming that the GOP created a "missile gap" in the Cold War. Kennedy had little interest and knowledge about space exploration, but this issue helped him win the election. His point...

United States on Aug 19, 2021

jpm: Reading

United Kingdom on Aug 16, 2021

Mark Proctor: This book brings to mind the belligerence of Khrushchev during the Space Race. As for the program, The Right Stuff already covered this ground.

Canada on Jul 08, 2021

Howard WilliamsHoward Williams: As a witness to some of the events and opinions
presented in this book, I found myself completely
returned to my early teens when my dad, Walt
Williams, packed us up and moved east to work

on Project Mercury. We left our home in Lancaster,
California and he left the High Speed Flight Station, the NACA facility at Edwards Air Force Base where
he had been its founding Director and the NACA lead since 1946 to join Mercury which at the time had a dubious future. Late summer 1959 was interrupted by continuous pressure from NASA (NACA rechristened and endowed with a politically appointed administrator) through Abe Silverstein’s
endless phone calls that managed to interrupt family dinner nearly every night. When he finally
accepted the job to help get Mercury organized,
he knew he had to have the assurance that he had
the authority as well as the responsibility for
what he was taking on. He insisted on the title
of Associate Director to Bob Gilruth the Director,
and the additional specific title of Operations Director. The chain of command
was always clear from the start. Chris Kraft was
very well thought of by my dad, especially in...

United States on Jun 14, 2021