Quotes from Deborah Cadbury

man can live or work far beyond the earth's atmosphere … the first nation to do this will control the earth.

A ruthless foe established on a space station could actually subjugate the peoples of the world,

The end of the war had seen the Soviet Union broken and impoverished. Now, not much more than a decade later, their totalitarian system had, it seemed, produced a legendary flag to wave at the West.

I only think, if it is possible, that in families all should be made up again, for life is so very uncertain,

Anybody spending $40 billion in a race to the moon for national prestige is nuts,' declared Eisenhower.

If we die, we want people to accept it. We're in a risky business, and we hope that if anything happens to us it will not delay the programme. The conquest of space is worth the risk of life.

there was a dramatic coup d'état against the moderate Girondins at the National Convention. Twenty-nine leading Girondists were arrested on June 2 and many were subsequently guillotined.