program was adequately funded (Fishman, 1992, p. 28). After President KennedyÆs death, President Lyndon Johnson continued to assure adequate funding and executive support to NASA.
One of the first actions of the newly installed administration of President Richard Nixon in 1969, however, was to begin cutting elements of the federal budget, including the NASA budget (Fishman, 1992, p. 27). At this late stage of the moon landing program, however, the actions of the Nixon Administration had little effect, and such a landing occurred in 1969. While President Nixon was on board ship to greet the returning astronauts, however, his administration had already sowed the seed of future NASA failures. There would be no more visionary goals established by presidents that would be backed up by assurances of the necessary funding. There would not even be any effective executive or congressional guidance for NASA in the post moon landing period.
In its new status, NASA administrators were required to negotiate budgets with the Office of Management and Budget in the executive branch and with various congressional committees in the
...