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Author
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Topic: Nixon: Space as a vehicle for diplomacy
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Machodoc
Member Posts: 207
From: DE
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 02-23-2009 10:26 PM
   
I've been preoccupied with grad school which kept me from attending Spacefest and may do the same for other events this year. Curses!I am however trying to compensate by trying to incorporate space themes into my research, and right now I'm doing archival research on the Nixon presidency and its use of space as a diplomatic and foreign policy vehicle. I'm focusing on Nixon for two reasons: First, he was the incumbent President for all but two Apollo flights and all of the moon landings, and second, I live near DC, and by agreement all of his remaining original papers are being moved to Yorba Linda at the end of the year. My professor is exhorting his students to take advantage of the Nixon papers before they leave DC and I agree. I am at the very front end of my research, and have found documents that would be very fun to post here (such as Presidential promotion approvals of various Apollo and Skylab astronauts), but alas are not germane to my required research. Sorry if that sounds crappy, but unfortunately my time is tight. If anyone here has any guidance, wisdom, and advice on the overall topic I would be eternally grateful, and will of course share whatever I learn with the folks here. No moon rocks for Andorrah! Steve |
WAWalsh
Member Posts: 809
From: Cortlandt Manor, NY
Registered: May 2000
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posted 02-23-2009 11:16 PM
A conveniently well-timed post. "Homesteading Space" contains a brief discussion at the end of the chapter discussing the first Skylab mission concerning the crew's post-mission activities. This includes an invitation and visit to San Clemente while Brezhnev met with President Nixon. The crew flew off of the Ticon a few days after landing to make their appearance. The start of the book also notes that NASA contacted the Soviets following the loss of the Russian crew in order to discover if the cosmonauts' death was linkable to long-duration space flight.[There may be more, but I am only just reaching Alan Bean's battle to dock with Skylab minus a thruster. I would suggest an e-mail directed to Colin for some ideas.] |
WAWalsh
Member Posts: 809
From: Cortlandt Manor, NY
Registered: May 2000
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posted 02-24-2009 07:40 AM
In thinking about this, you may want to read through Stafford's "We Have Capture" for avenues to pursue. As I recall, the book contains some discussion on early US-Soviet communications and efforts to work together. |
kr4mula
Member Posts: 642
From: Cinci, OH
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 02-24-2009 11:11 AM
NASA contracted with the history department at Georgia Tech (mainly John Krige) to write a history of NASA's international partnerships. I imagine their work will cover the diplomatic end, as well as the practical side of such partnerships. Not sure how/if this helps you, but thought you might want to know.And you might wish to read the oral histories with Arnold Frutkin, the NASA AA for International Affairs from 1963-1978. Cheers,
Kevin |
Machodoc
Member Posts: 207
From: DE
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 02-26-2009 02:09 PM
Thanks for the suggestions guys - I actually have Stafford's book and will check it out, and I downloaded the Frutkin papers.I spent all day yesterday at the National Archives in College Park, and inhaled the entire Nixon White Central Files dealing with Outer Space - 13 boxes. Although there wasn't much there on topic for me, it was really weird to hold original documents from players like Nixon, Kissinger, Halderman, etc... The other interesting thing were some of the personal and military related documents on the astronauts themselves. While these are public documents, there's really no need for me to go into names here. Suffice to say it was enlightening to see the promotion papers of various Apollo astronauts, some of them denied, and there are several documents in the file dealing with the personal aspects of some, you know, that some are more personable than others, many liked to play the stock market, or were "boisterous". Also I didn't realize that post flight world tours by the Apollo crews were ranked as "Presidential" level in importance. Lots of documents to and from Anders and Borman given their official and unofficial roles they played during the Nixon administration. | |
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