The moon disaster that never happened
“Fate has ordained that the men who went to the Moon to explore in peace will stay on the Moon to rest in peace…”
- President Richard Nixon’s archives
The line above is a from a memo written by Bill Safire, President Nixon’s speechwritter to the Whitehouse Chief of Staff Harry (“Bob”) Haldeman (made famous by Watergate and All the President’s Men).
It’s not clear whether Nixon would have delivered it as written, but it is a good example of preparing for all possible (even probable) disaster. Better to “waste” time preparing for disaster and not experience it, than to let it catch you unprepared.
Read an article on the memo here: ”How Houston Rehearded Its Worst Ever Problem”
