In Moon Shot by Shepard, Slayton, Benedict, and Barbee, the essence of the space race is truly captured, including the events, the people, and the feelings. Each of the Mercury flights had something unique. Shepard had to urinate on the launch pad and faced over eleven g-forces. Grissom wore women’s lingerie in order to not repeat Shepard’s first event, and he faced the trouble of vindicating himself of the charges of opening the hatch. Glenn saw “fireflies” and had to perform special maneuvers for fear that his heat shield had come detached. All flights were unique.

Kennedy was definitely responsible for kick starting the United States space program, but as Moon Shot put it, “if it wasn’t for the Russians, we wouldn’t be going to the moon.” The challenge from the Russians was just was the United States needed to spur on the race to the moon.

Much is to be said for the way the astronauts held together. That was the only way for them to survive. When Alan Shepard saw his fellow astronauts struggling to get rides in a parade, he was moved to action.

“‘At that moment I swore myself to an oath,’ Alan said. ‘No more “I” did this or “I” did that. From then on, whenever I spoke, it was “we astronauts,” and “we did that” and “we’re going to do this.”’”

            -Moon Shot by Shepard, Slayton, Benedict, and Barbee

They had to stick together with the barrage of media at their doorsteps. After all, Louise Shepard had to leave a note on her door to keep the media away on the morning of Alan Shepard’s launch that said:

“There are no reporters inside. I will have a statement for the press after the flight.”

            -Moon Shot by Shepard, Slayton, Benedict, and Barbee

The media was the same ones that could get up enough hype to spur on the space race.