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Author
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Topic: 10 enduring myths about the US space program
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-17-2011 09:35 AM
   
Smithsonian Magazine looks at ten fables about NASA that have permeated the public's memory. Here's the list, see the article for the explanation behind each myth... - The U.S. space program enjoyed broad, enthusiastic support during the race to land a man on the Moon.
- The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is part of NASA.
- The Moon landing was a hoax.
- During the 1990s, NASA deliberately destroyed its own Mars space probes.
- Alan Shepard is A-Okay.
- NASA's budget accounts for nearly one-fourth of government spending.
- The STS-48 UFO
- The Fisher Space Pen 'brought the astronauts home.'
- President John F. Kennedy wanted America to beat the Soviet Union to the Moon.
- No Buck Rogers, No Bucks.
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spaceman
Member Posts: 1104
From: Walsall, West Midlands, UK
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 04-17-2011 02:04 PM
I'll have to watch the 'Right Stuff' again now. I always thought the phrase was “No Bucks, No Buck Rogers" meaning without financial support through publicity and engaging with the public no one would fly in space.Any more examples of enduring space myths?
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-17-2011 02:29 PM
quote:
Originally posted by spaceman:
Any more examples of enduring space myths?
The one that comes to my mind immediately (and I am a bit surprised that it wasn't included by the Smithsonian): - Tang and Velcro were invented by NASA.
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moorouge
Member Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 04-17-2011 03:46 PM
quote:
Originally posted by spaceman:
Any more examples of enduring space myths?
One can add Teflon to the list as well. |
arjuna
unregistered
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posted 04-17-2011 04:43 PM
quote:
Originally posted by spaceman:
I'll have to watch the 'Right Stuff' again now.
I can save you a viewing: your memory is correct. The phrase they used (and the one I've always heard) is "No bucks, no Buck Rogers." |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-17-2011 04:48 PM
Right, but "No bucks, no Buck Rogers" is not a myth. On the other hand, there has been long held belief that without astronauts, wither NASA. For what it's worth, I think the Smithsonian was wrong to include this in their list. I know that they were trying to make a point about unmanned spaceflight being as popular as crewed missions, but were NASA to give up entirely on its astronaut corps, then I think the agency would further slip out of the public's consciousness, much like the National Academy of Sciences... |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 04-17-2011 04:54 PM
quote:
Originally posted by arjuna:
The phrase they used (and the one I've always heard) is "No bucks, no Buck Rogers."
If you read the article, you'll see it is a (as I read it) deliberate reversal of the common phrase by the writer, to make a point about unmanned spaceflight in regard to manned spaceflight. I thought it was quite clever, although I am not sure it's a paraphrase, as the author states. An antonymic paraphrase, perhaps? |
Mr Meek
Member Posts: 353
From: Chattanooga, TN
Registered: Dec 2007
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posted 04-17-2011 07:02 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
the National Academy of Sciences...
The what?  I'm not sure it's been around long enough to be considered enduring, but one current misunderstanding that has potential to become a myth is that NASA is no longer planning to send astronauts to space. To many people, the shuttle is the only way astronauts "go to space." Therefore, no shuttle, no astronauts. I've had to explain both the distinction and the current plan several times. |
arjuna
unregistered
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posted 04-17-2011 08:33 PM
Ah. Point taken. I read the article when I first woke up and forgot that when I posted. For what its worth, I disagree with the premise of that "myth". While I do think that Hubble is one of the best returns-on-investment NASA ever made in terms of producing something that people really respond to, and the Mars Rovers are pretty cool (and ok, I fully support interplanetary robotic missions), I just don't agree that it generally holds a candle to manned spaceflight. I say that as someone who is definitely not a Shuttle hugger and who in fact believes that program was more of a detriment to manned spaceflight (the "flying around in circles" problem; no hate mail please). There is nothing like the human adventure of Apollo or (future) deep space missions for generating popular interest (and therefore support). So I disagree that it's a myth - or at least that the claim that "no Buck Rogers, no bucks" is untrue has not been demonstrated. My two cents. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 04-18-2011 04:16 AM
While I haven't heard of the STS-48 UFO, one myth I've heard is that NASA conducted a sex in space study... and interestingly enough, the mission cited for it was STS-75(!) |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 04-18-2011 05:38 AM
Was that the shuttle mission that had a married couple on the crew, albeit unknown to NASA? It's hard to believe that they didn't take a unique opportunity!  |
issman1
Member Posts: 1042
From: UK
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 04-18-2011 05:50 AM
I've heard of the STS-48 allegations. There are alleged incidents during many other shuttle missions.In fact, Expedition 27 resident Cady Coleman is still the focus of an air-to-ground comment during her first spaceflight, STS-73. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 04-18-2011 05:51 AM
You're thinking of STS-47, although NASA did find out two of the crew were married. No, STS-75 was an all-male crew.... |
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