13. The Risk of an ‘Unacceptable’ Moon Landing Failure
NASA leaders quietly prepared statements for President Nixon in the event Apollo 11’s crew did not return from the Moon. Internal doubts about the mission’s chance of success loomed large, revealing just how uncertain—or desperate—NASA leadership sometimes felt. The contingency speech, titled “In Event of Moon Disaster,” was drafted by speechwriter William Safire and outlined the steps to be taken if the mission ended in tragedy. Fortunately, the mission was successful, and the speech was never delivered.
