The Almost Astronaut

Radio Diaries

Radio Diaries & Radiotopia

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 29 June 2022

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the 1960s, the U.S. was in a tense space race with the Soviet Union - and was losing. The Soviets had sent the first satellite and the first man into space. So, President Kennedy pledged to do something no country had done: send a man to the moon.

This mission excited many white Americans, but many Black Americans thought the space program wasted money that could’ve helped Black communities. So, the U.S. embarked on a plan that could beat the Soviets and appease Black Americans: tapping Air Force Captain Ed Dwight as the first Black astronaut candidate.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Last day is a show about the moments that change us.
0:03.0	I just don't think I will ever get used to this.
0:06.0	I'm Stephanie Little's Wax, and I have had one of these moments.
0:10.0	We all have.
0:11.0	So let's unpack the chaos that is our human existence together.
0:14.5	I don't believe things happen for a reason.
0:16.5	I don't believe the universe has a plan.
0:18.5	Each week, I sit down with a new guest to explore happy, sad stories of transformation.
0:24.0	It's leaning far, far into the pain. That's what it is.
0:27.5	Listen to last day wherever you get your podcasts.
0:31.5	Radio-topia.
0:34.5	From PRX.
0:36.5	From PRX's radio-topia, this is Radio Diaries. I'm Drew Richmond.
0:40.5	Mr. Speaker, it's device president.
0:43.5	My co-partners in government.
0:46.5	In the 1960s, President Kennedy had no shortage of issues to bring to Congress.
0:51.5	The Warren Vietnam, the civil rights movement,
0:54.5	and the space race, which the US was losing to the Soviet Union.
0:59.5	So on May 25, 1961, Kennedy pledged to do something no other country had done.
1:05.5	I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal
1:10.5	before this decade is out of landing a man on the moon
1:14.5	and returning him safely to the Earth.
	...

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