Recovering Apollo 8. Excellent short science fiction story with Objectivist undertones.
This is not a failure. We’re proud to be the first humans to venture beyond the Moon. Please continue the space program. Get us to the Moon. Get a base on the Moon. Send another group to explore the solar system—one who can report back to you. Do it in our name, and with our blessing.
Some nights he’d wake up in a cold sweat, wondering if a man should ever achieve the dreams of his childhood. Then he’d remember that he hadn’t yet achieved the dream. He’d only created the opportunity. And sometimes he’d wonder why that wasn’t enough.
