Examines how the Kennedy administration and the media constructed the space program in ways designed to win congressional and public approval

Examines the Kennedy administration’s rhetorical campaign to persuade Congress and the public to adopt a manned flight to the moon. In so doing, the study addresses three key themes.

First, it illuminates the contrasting nature of technical and narrative arguments and explores how those arguments play different roles in public discussion of social policy. Second, the book examines how both the executive branch and the news media function to help set the agenda in American politics. Offering a case study of the increasingly complex relationship between the government and the media.

Finally, Selling Outer Space explores the power of technology to shape and direct human action.
 

“A valuable addition to the body of science communication research that examines the tension between expert and public perspectives on such issues as risk and the environment.”
—Sciphers (Science Communication Interest Group)
 

“Kauffman’s compelling book . . . examines how the Kennedy administration and the media constructed the space program in ways designed to win congressional and public approval. Kauffman analyzes the construction of the space program as a series of rhetorical moves, raising questions not only about the media, government, and technology but also about how we understand
public life.”
—Journal of American History
 

“Selling Outer Space is a case study of the complex relationship between the government and the media. Anyone interested in public relations, or how the news media operate, should read this book. Every library should own it.”
—Academic Library Book Review