Abstract
Most would say that the pinnacle of the Space Race was when the United States landed on the Moon. Besides the countless videos and images, what is the proof that the U.S. was there? Moon rocks are tangible evidence that the U.S. was on the Moon. Once the moon rocks came to Earth, they were studied, distributed, and displayed. The goal of this research is to examine the displays and narratives of the Apollo lunar samples. Understanding where and how the rocks ended up in their earthly homes around the country allows for analysis of the historical and cultural impacts of these rocks. It is important to understand the Moon and its history because the lunar landings were a major part of the 1960s in the United States. My research involves hunting down the lunar samples that are across the U.S. and working with several institutions to gather the stories of their lunar samples. My research shows that the lunar samples are not only rocks and pebbles, but they are objects that share different stories about the history of Apollo and, therefore, are an important part of Apollo's legacy.
Notes
If this is your thesis or dissertation, and want to learn how to access it or for more information about readership statistics, contact us at STARS@ucf.edu
Graduation Date
2022
Semester
Summer
Advisor
Foster, Amy
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
College
College of Arts and Humanities
Department
History
Degree Program
History; Public History
Identifier
CFE0009268; DP0026872
URL
https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0026872
Language
English
Release Date
August 2022
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Masters Thesis (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Strickland, Emily, "To the Moon and Back: The Impact of Moon Rocks on the Historical Legacy of NASA's Apollo Program" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023. 1297.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/1297