Posts: 44549 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-10-2015 08:22 AM
As part of a series on BBC Newsnight, to promote Letters Live, a season of readings of letters of note in London, actor Benedict Cumberbatch read the speech prepared in 1969 by William Safire "In Event of Moon Disaster."
It was to be used in the event the astronauts were stranded on the Moon and could not return to Earth. Fortunately, it was never needed.
Jonnyed Member
Posts: 429 From: Dumfries, VA, USA Registered: Aug 2014
posted 04-10-2015 09:58 AM
Very well written speech. Interesting that it contains no mention of "God" or "souls" Probably rightfully so, but a bit out-of-line with general American cultural practice of that time period or occasion I'm guessing?
How to put it? It's not overly funeral-like — distinctly non-spiritual, but very grand on a human scale. For contrast, take Reagan's speech after the Challenger disaster and his reference to "touching the face of God." And Bush's speech after Columbia is chock-full of biblical and religious references. This is what I am (perhaps poorly) describing as "funeral-like."
Could it be that Safire's speech was more of an "international" speech for Apollo, yet Reagan's and Bush's disaster speeches more directed at the U.S.? At any rate, Safire's speech strikes just the right tone.
garymilgrom Member
Posts: 1969 From: Atlanta, GA Registered: Feb 2007
posted 04-10-2015 11:03 AM
I also think it's well written. Were similar speeches prepared for later missions?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44549 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-10-2015 11:07 AM
I believe Safire's Apollo 11 speech was the only one prepared. It would have been easy enough to adapt if needed (which thankfully, it wasn't).
Jonnyed Member
Posts: 429 From: Dumfries, VA, USA Registered: Aug 2014
posted 04-10-2015 11:19 AM
Were any space disaster presidential speeches prepared in advance for the original Mercury missions? I don't recall reading about any.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44549 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-10-2015 11:25 AM
Not a speech, but there was a Department of Defense/CIA proposal that if John Glenn's launch was to fail, it would be blamed on Cuba.
...Operation Dirty Trick, a plot to blame Castro if the 1962 Mercury manned space flight carrying John Glenn crashed, saying: "The objective is to provide irrevocable proof that, should the MERCURY manned orbit flight fail, the fault lies with the Communists et al. Cuba [sic]." It continues, "This to be accomplished by manufacturing various pieces of evidence which would prove electronic interference on the part of the Cubans."
The proposal was rejected by the Kennedy administration.
FFrench Member
Posts: 3170 From: San Diego Registered: Feb 2002
posted 04-10-2015 12:00 PM
I came across a Kennedy speech for the event of losing Glenn not long ago in a book. Will see if I can recall where.
carmelo Member
Posts: 1060 From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia Registered: Jun 2004
posted 04-10-2015 12:50 PM
Operation Dirty Trick, a plot to blame Castro if the 1962 Mercury manned space flight carrying John Glenn crashed, saying: "The objective is to provide irrevocable proof that, should the MERCURY manned orbit flight fail, the fault lies with the Communists et al. Cuba [sic]."
Is not Castro, but Dr. No, in Jamaica. Don't worry, James Bond is at work.
Jonnyed Member
Posts: 429 From: Dumfries, VA, USA Registered: Aug 2014
posted 04-10-2015 01:02 PM
The CIA-Castro proposal is great cold war history trivia.
I guess the only other "obvious" disaster scenario that might have generated consideration of an advance draft of a Nixon speech is the Apollo 13 mission after the famous "Houston, we've had a problem" radio transmission.
Perhaps drafting that speech ahead of time would have seemed like jinxing the recovery.
Ronpur Member
Posts: 1224 From: Brandon, Fl Registered: May 2012
posted 04-10-2015 08:47 PM
I have read this speech dozens of times in the past, but for some reason, hearing it was rather chilling. I can imagine how I would have felt hearing it as a little five year old who was so in awe of Apollo 11.
But then again, Nixon wasn't Benedict Cumberbatch either.
Delta7 Member
Posts: 1573 From: Bluffton IN USA Registered: Oct 2007
posted 04-14-2015 05:59 PM
Where's the Morgan Freeman version?
(Actually back then it would have been the Orson Welles version.)
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44549 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-16-2015 11:31 PM
quote:Originally posted by Jonnyed: ...is the Apollo 13 mission after the famous "Houston, we've had a problem" radio transmission.
On behalf of the people of the United States, I wish to thank you for your kind message of sympathy concerning the death of the Apollo XIII astronauts. Even though it has long been recognized that space exploration, like all of the great pioneering ventures through man's history, involves the possibility of losses, we are deeply distressed at the death of these brave men.
After the causes of the accident have been thoroughly analyzed and corrected, we look to the completion of the goals of this mission.
Grounded! Member
Posts: 405 From: Bennington, Vermont, USA Registered: Feb 2011
posted 04-17-2015 01:02 AM
I wonder how far along we were in the Apollo 13 crisis when this response was drafted? Just politics I guess.
Jonnyed Member
Posts: 429 From: Dumfries, VA, USA Registered: Aug 2014
posted 04-17-2015 08:48 PM
I'm guessing that the draft message for Apollo 13 disaster was NOT prepared by President Nixon's speechwriter William Safire, because it stands in stark contrast to Safire's draft on Apollo 11.
Not to sound corny, but the Apollo 11 speech is soaringly poetic. The Apollo 13 draft "response to messages" is frankly kind of lame and pathetic by comparison. If perhaps the Apollo 13 message was drafted by Safire, it was certainly one of his off-days.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44549 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-17-2015 08:59 PM
Sure, but the Apollo 13 draft is not a speech but a reply to sympathy messages (presumably from other world leaders).
Jonnyed Member
Posts: 429 From: Dumfries, VA, USA Registered: Aug 2014
posted 04-17-2015 09:56 PM
In particular, I thought the closing line is horrible for response to a sympathy message: "After the causes of the accident have been thoroughly analyzed and corrected, we look to the completion of the goals of this mission."
Ghastly poor and mechanical writing! It's just about as impassive as: "Once we get the investigation completed and corrective actions wrapped up, we'll blast the next group toward the moon."
And look at this gem: "Even though it has long been recognized that space exploration, like all of the great pioneering ventures through man's history, involves the possibility of losses..." Long been recognized!? This draft was written in 1970 and manned space flight was only 9 years old.
Pretty amateurish for a presidential message. I could go on but I don't want to be hypercritical.
FFrench Member
Posts: 3170 From: San Diego Registered: Feb 2002
posted 04-20-2015 10:30 AM
quote:Originally posted by FFrench: I came across a Kennedy speech for the event of losing Glenn not long ago in a book. Will see if I can recall where.
It was coincidentally posted elsewhere online today. Here it is:
To Mrs. Glenn and members of the Glenn family go my deepest sympathy. It was my pleasure to have known John Glenn. This nation and the entire world share his loss with the Glenn family. Space scientists will revere his pioneering spirit forever. — John F. Kennedy (Source: Lamb, Lawrence. Inside The Space Race: A Space Surgeon's Diary, 2006. pp. 6)
Jonnyed Member
Posts: 429 From: Dumfries, VA, USA Registered: Aug 2014
posted 05-21-2015 09:17 PM
Here is William Safire discussing the moon disaster speech with Tim Russert on Meet the Press.
The recording includes great stories on Frank Borman's remark to Safire prompting the drafting of the speech, and the grammatical error contained on the plaque left on the moon.
Fezman92 Member
Posts: 1031 From: New Jersey, USA Registered: Mar 2010
posted 06-29-2015 08:40 PM
Were there drafts of this kind written for all the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Shuttle missions?
Jonnyed Member
Posts: 429 From: Dumfries, VA, USA Registered: Aug 2014
posted 07-09-2015 09:47 PM
Best I can tell, there were not drafts of this nature written for every mission but only for certain key missions of a very limited number where higher risk or extreme circumstances/uncertainties might have deemed it prudent to be prepared for the worst.
holcombeyates Member
Posts: 268 From: UK Registered: Dec 2010
posted 04-30-2019 03:10 PM
Any leads on whether a recording exists of Nixon's speech prepared in the event of moon disaster? I have the text but some YouTube videos hint that it may have been pre-recorded so just wondering where it might be.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44549 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-30-2019 03:13 PM
To the best of my knowledge, the speech was not pre-recorded or otherwise practiced by Nixon.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44549 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
It was 51 years ago today (July 20) that U.S. President Richard Nixon addressed the country after fate ordained that the first humans to attempt a landing on the moon would "stay on the moon to rest in peace."
The iconic broadcast, mourning the loss of Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, was delivered from the Oval Office at the White House just hours after the moon disaster.
Except it wasn't. As history records, the first lunar landing was a total success and the crew returned to Earth safely, despite a new recording showing Nixon reading the contingency words prepared for him by speechwriter William Safire on July 18, 1969. The video, released by MIT's Center for Advanced Virtuality on Monday — the 51st anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing — is "fake news," purposely.
Headshot Member
Posts: 936 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 07-20-2020 01:44 PM
Trouble is that now the more gullible are going to start claiming to have actually heard/watched this speech back in '69.
posted 04-10-2015 08:22 AM
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