(((Charles Fishman))) 💧 Profile picture
Journalist. Author. Historian of the race to the Moon in the 1960s: 'One Giant Leap.' • Also water & Walmart. • 'A radio sensation.'

Jun 17, 2020, 5 tweets

'The U.S. went to the Moon, but all we got back on Earth was Tang & Velcro.'

This is Myth #1 about the race to the Moon in the 1960s.

In fact, NASA didn't give us Tang or Velcro. The stories are better than that.

#Apollo51
fastcompany.com/90361081/my-co…

2/ That's the 9th in my series from last summer exploring the culture of the 1960s & the race to the Moon @FastCompany.

50 short chapters in 50 days, leading to the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing.

They are great stories for this summer to — leadership & grit.

3/ Plus: a dose of myth-busting.

Tang may have branded itself alongside the astronauts better than anyone except NASA itself.

(Quick: Name a company that made an Apollo rocket or spacecraft. Now name a drink astronauts drank in space.)

The astronauts didn't even like Tang.

4/ Below is a grainy image from the ABC News broadcast of Apollo 8 approaching the Moon in December 1968.

That's legendary ABC space reporter Jules Bergman. And on his anchor desk: the Tang logo.

'Apollo 8 & the Moon: Brought to you by Tang.'
fastcompany.com/90361081/my-co…

5/ Each of those stories from last summer is @FastCompany
~

…the plan to use convicts as astronauts
…the insane idea to get to the Moon's surface with a rope
…the Moon speech JFK almost didn't give

And much more.

First 10 in the series here:
fastcompany.com/section/50-day…

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