Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the surface. Michael Collins in orbit. Apollo 11 was a success, and the entire world celebrated the conquest of the Moon. Almost 50 years have passed since that historic mission, and those responsible had to watch over every last detail... including the possibility that the astronauts would not return to Earth. That led to the creation of an official statement that then-President of the United States Richard Nixon would share with the public if the failure of Apollo 11 became a reality...
The Apollo 11 mission lasted just over eight days and exposed three astronauts to one of the most hostile environments ever known to humanity. In fact, the Apollo program had already claimed the lives of three pilots without ever leaving Earth, which led to a 20-month suspension of manned flights.
All of NASA's teams worked to achieve perfection on Apollo 11, and judging by the results, they succeeded. However, no one could completely close the door on the possibility that an accident or malfunction could leave the astronauts on the Moon... forever.
The letter Nixon prepared for Apollo 11
“Fate has ordained that the men who went to the Moon to explore in peace will stay on the Moon to rest in peace. These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their rescue. But they also know that there is hope for humanity in their sacrifice.
These two men are giving their lives for the noblest goal of humanity: the search for truth and understanding. They will be mourned by their families and friends, they will be mourned by their Nation, they will be mourned by the people of the world, they will be mourned by a Mother Earth who dared to send two of her sons into the unknown.
In their exploration, they inspired the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they tightened the brotherhood of man. In ancient times, men looked at the stars and saw heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.
Others will follow them, and surely find their way home. The search of man will not be denied. But these men were the first and will remain the most distinguished in our hearts. Every human being who looks at the Moon during the nights to come will know that there is a corner of another world that will forever be humanity's.”
This is a humble translation of the statement that Richard Nixon would have made in the worst-case scenario. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has preserved the text impeccably and posted high-resolution copies online that reveal even the smallest details, including the perforations in the paper and the occasional typewriter error.
The names at the top are those of William Safire, who was in charge of writing President Nixon's and Vice President Agnew's speeches, and Chief of Staff Harry Robbins Haldeman, one of the many convicted in the Watergate scandal. Personally, I find the most disturbing aspect of the speech to be the subsequent actions. The president would communicate by phone (not in person) with the “future widows,” while a priest would follow the same procedure as a burial at sea, commending the astronauts' souls to the depths.
NARA
