BBC History UK 04.2020

Nasa’s war with the hippies

The heroics of Apollo 13 couldn’t mask a growing scepticism

among Americans about the space programme, writes Thomas Ellis

When the news broke that the Apollo 13 crew

had splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean,

Americans breathed a huge sigh of relief. But

their elation couldn’t hide an underlying truth:

that the nation was experiencing a ‘Space

Slump’, a sense of disenchantment with space

exploration that had begun in the late 1960s.

Apollo 11’s first broadcast from the lunar

surface on 20 July 1969 was watched by an

estimated global audience of 650 million people.

Yet, the following year, a survey in The Philadel-

phia Sunday Bulletin found 70  per cent of

respondents unable to remember the name of

Neil Armstrong.

While some Americans were apathetic,

others were hostile. Critics charged that space

heroics were a distraction from pressing earthly

problems such as racial and economic inequality

and America’s ongoing war in south-east Asia.

There was some truth to this. President Richard

Nixon had used Apollo  13 as an excuse to post-

pone a report to the nation on the situation in

Vietnam. On the eve of Apollo 11, the civil rights

leader Reverend Ralph Abernathy had led a

contingent of the Southern Christian Leadership

Poor People’s Campaign to Cape Kennedy to

raise awareness of the poverty afflicting Afri-

can-American communities. Abernathy brought

with him four mules, a reference to broken

post-Civil War promises that liberated slaves

would be given “Forty acres and a mule”.

Nasa’s crew-cut astronauts and engineers

were seen as increasingly out of step with the

rapidly changing times. Speaking in 1970, Nasa

administrator Dr Thomas Paine drew battle lines

between the space agency’s rational, “outward

looking and mathematical” “Squareland” and

the emotional, superstitious, “non-mathemati-

cal” hippies of “Potland”. In truth, many young

people influenced by the counterculture were

turned off by Nasa’s insistence on emphasising

sober science over the contemplation of humani-

ty’s place in the cosmos. Writing for the radical

magazine Fifth Estate, Hank Malone derided

Apollo 11 as “the ultimate WASP (White An-

glo-Saxon Protestant) trip”, charging that it

“utterly lacked poetry and wonder”.

Apollo 13’s potent blend of danger, heroism

and ingenious engineering briefly rekindled the

adventurous spirit of the early space age. But this

was not enough to bridge the cultural chasm

between the crew of the Aquarius and the

generation lionised by Hair as the children of the

‘Age of Aquarius’. This clash was exemplified on

4 June 1970, when Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert

stormed out of a New York performance of the

cult hippie musical. Collared by the musical’s

press agent in the theatre lobby, Swigert voiced

his objection to the stars and stripes being

draped over the shoulders of a shaggy-haired

cast member: “I don’t like the way they wrapped

the flag around that guy.”

Millions of Americans anxiously watched

coverage of Apollo 13 and prayed for the astro-

nauts’ safe return, but this unity proved short-

lived in a nation riven by cultural, generational

and racial divides.

Ralph Abernathy (front) protests

against African-American poverty on a

mock-up of the Apollo 11 lunar module

A 1970 performance

of Hair, the cult

musical that hippies

loved – and Apollo 13

astronauts hated

GETTY IMAGES/AKG-IMAGES

Many young

Americans

influenced by the

counterculture

were turned off

by Nasa’s fixation

with sober science

Nasa’s war with the hippies

TheheroicsofApollo 13 couldn’tmaska growingscepticism

among Americans about the space programme, writesThomas Ellis

WhenthenewsbrokethattheApollo 13 crew

had splasheddown safely in the PacificOcean,

Americansbreatheda hugesighof relief.But

theirelationcouldn’thideanunderlyingtruth:

thatthenationwasexperiencinga ‘Space

Slump’,a sense of disenchantmentwith space

explorationthathadbegunin thelate1960s.

Apollo11’s first broadcastfrom the lunar

surfaceon 20 July 1969 waswatchedbyan

estimatedglobalaudienceof 650millionpeople

Yet, the followingyear, a surveyinThePhiladel-

phiaSundayBulletinfound 70 per cent of

respondentsunableto remember the name of

NeilArmstrong.

While some Americanswere apathetic,

otherswerehostile.Criticschargedthatspace

heroicswerea distractionfrompressingearthly

problemssuchasracialandeconomicinequality

andAmerica’songoingwarin south-eastAsia.

Therewassometruthto this.PresidentRichard

Nixon had used Apollo13 as an excuseto post-

ponea reportto thenationonthesituationin

Vietnam.On the eve of Apollo11, the civil rights

leaderReverendRalph Abernathyhad led a

contingentof theSouthernChristianLeadership

PoorPeople’sCampaignto CapeKennedyto

raise awarenessof the povertyafflictingAfri-

can-Americancommunities.Abernathybrought

withhim four mules,a referenceto broken

post-CivilWar promisesthat liberatedslaves

wouldbe given “Fortyacres and a mule”.

Nasa’screw-cutastronautsandengineers

wereseenasincreasinglyoutof stepwiththe

rapidlychangingtimes. Speakingin 1970, Nasa

administratorDrThomasPainedrewbattlelines

betweenthe space agency’srational,“outward

lookingand mathematical”“Squareland”and

the emotional,superstitious,“non-mathemati-

cal”hippiesof “Potland”.In truth, many young

peopleinfluencedby the counterculturewere

turnedoff by Nasa’sinsistenceon emphasising

sober scienceover the contemplationof humani-

ty’splacein thecosmos.Writingfortheradical

magazineFifth Estate, Hank Malone derided

Apollo11 as th lt m W ite n-

glo-SaxonProtestant)trip”, chargingthat it

“utterlylackedpoetryand wonder”.

Apollo13’s potentblend of danger,heroism

and ingeniousengineeringbrieflyrekindledthe

adventurousspirit of the early space age. But this

wasnotenoughto bridgetheculturalchasm

betweenthecrewof theAquariusandthe

generationlionisedbyHairasthechildrenof the

‘Age of Aquarius’.This clash was exemplifiedon

4 June 1970, when Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert

stormedoutof a NewYorkperformanceof the

culthippiemusical.Collaredbythemusical’s

press agent in the theatrelobby, Swigertvoiced

hisobjectionto thestarsandstripesbeing

drapedover the shouldersof a shaggy-haired

cast member:“I don’t like the way they wrapped

the flag aroundthat guy.”

Millionsof Americansanxiouslywatched

coverageof Apollo13 and prayedfor the astro-

nauts’safe return,but this unity provedshort-

livedin a nationriven by cultural, generational

and racial divides.

RalphAbernathy(front)protests

againstAfrican-Americanpovertyona

mock-up of the Apollo 11 lunar module

A 1970performance

ofHair, thecult

musicalthathippies

loved– andApollo 13

astronauts hated

GETTY IMAGES/AKG-IMAGES

Manyyoung

Americans

influencedby the

counterculture

were turnedoff

byNasa’sfixation

with sober science