American Experience’s Chasing the Moon anchors PBS’s Summer of Space lineup of shows commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Experience the thrilling era of the space race, from its earliest days to the 1969 moon landing. A fascinating mix of scientific innovation, political calculation, media spectacle and personal drama brings the Space Age to vivid life.
Tonight: part three, Magnificent Desolation, takes Americans to the moon and back. After the successful Apollo 8 mission, questions about the space program emerged with new intensity. Dr. von Braun’s Nazi past came into sharp focus as the public began to question his role at NASA. As newly elected President Nixon waxed philosophic about the achievements of Apollo 8, violent protests and a cultural revolution shook the nation.
Find much more related content here and watch Chasing the Moon on WGBH’s American Experience, tonight at 9pm on WGBH 2.
