In 1969, as NASA prepared for the historic Apollo 11 mission, the White House took precautions against potential disaster. Speechwriter William Safire drafted a contingency speech titled “In Event of Moon Disaster,” intended for President Richard Nixon to deliver if astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin were stranded on the lunar surface. The speech honored the astronauts’ bravery and acknowledged their potential sacrifice in advancing humanity’s quest for knowledge.

Safire’s memo, dated July 18, 1969, outlined procedures for such a tragedy. President Nixon would personally contact the astronauts’ families, and the nation would observe a period of mourning. While the speech never mentioned a “burial-at-sea” ritual, it reflected the solemnity of such a situation. Fortunately, the Apollo 11 mission succeeded, and the speech remained unused, later becoming a poignant artifact of the era.

Despite the mission’s success, conspiracy theories emerged, alleging that the moon landing was staged. Some theorists speculated that filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, famed for 2001: A Space Odyssey, assisted NASA in creating a “backup film” of the moon landing. These claims, however, lack credible evidence and contradict overwhelming proof, including telemetry data, lunar samples, and photos taken on the moon.

The existence of Safire’s unused speech underscores the inherent risks of the Apollo mission and NASA’s transparency in preparing for potential failure. The enduring conspiracy theories serve as a reminder of the challenges in combating misinformation. However, the undeniable legacy of the Apollo program rests on the courage of the astronauts and the extraordinary achievements of the team that sent them to the moon—and brought them home safely.

For those interested in viewing the speech itself, this link will take you to a copy of that unnecessary speech:

https://www.archives.gov/files/presidential-libraries/events/centennials/nixon/images/exhibit/rn100-6-1-2.pdf