False Dawn: The Promise of Apollo (2005)

1960's America was deeply divided. The civil rights movement and severe poverty upset the established order. The Cuban Missile Crisis brought us to the brink of nuclear war, and the fear of Communism across the world swept through Middle America like wild fire, giving rise to the U.S. intervention in Vietnam. Then President Kennedy launched the inspirational race to the moon--a quest for mankind to conquer technological difficulties and explore space. The massive cost - at a time when millions of Americans lived below the poverty line - was justified to take the first step to meaningful exploration of space, understanding our universe and breaking free from our small but beautiful planet to live among the stars. The Apollo moon landings promised much, but ultimately amounted to a "false dawn." Recently released transcripts of White House meetings support the theory that the president only supported moon missions to detract attention from the escalating domestic and international situation and prove that Communism was inferior. In the first decade of the New Millennium, we have witnessed the tragedy of 9/11, the war on terrorism, multi-national forces in Iraq and Afghanistan in a deeply unpopular "occupation" and mounting tensions over Iran. And yet, in the midst of these developments, the U.S. Space Program has again been put at the forefront of the political agenda by President George W. Bush's "New Vision for Space"--advocating a return to the moon and beyond by 2010. But is this another "false dawn?" The debate starts here.