A Sociological Analysis of Ron Howards Apollo 13

Ron Howards re-creation of the happenings aboard NASAs Apollo 13 flight combined some of the biggest talent in Hollywood to produce a masterful film. Apollo 13 takes us back in time, to the late 1960s and early 70s, when Americas NASA space program was thriving and the world stood aside to see who would reach the moon first. The impacts of space program are still evident to this day. It is even said that by beating the Russians to the moon, we established ourselves are the top power in the world and propelled ourselves to the status we hold today. While today our space program flounders in the public eye, this movie illustrates a time when NASAs successes and failures held a huge sociological impact on American and even†¦show more content†¦Americans have now found more important things to worry about in their lives. Why risk lives in space when were already risking enough lives here in our country and overseas? The space program just cant hold its own anymore. The lo ss of lives and money in the Columbia and Challenger missions also plays as part of a power struggle in the government. Facing a growing debt and public criticism of NASAs failures, the government is forced to cut funding to our space program and subsequently, NASA begins to lose the struggle of power in the public eye. The space program in the 1960s promoted social solidarity in which it united the country in the race to be the first to the moon. America didnt want to lose out to the Russians and also feared Communist power had they made it to the moon before us. On the macro level, the space program of the 60s served as a driving force in the American-Russian rivalry. Each country continually upped the ante to see who was better, who could get to the moon first, and ultimately, who would prevail as the worlds top power. On the micro level, Jim Lovell and Fred Haise viewed the newcomer, Jack Swigert, as the outsider of their crew. They believed he truly didnt earn his spot with them and got there based on a faulty blood test. Days before the launch, Jim and Fred didnt like the new guy and had a small power struggle with him aboard the Apollo 13. However, once things went wrong and they put aside