About Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony
Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony is a historian of science and technology and curator of the Apollo Spacecraft Collection. Before coming to the Smithsonian Institution, she earned a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and held positions at the Center for History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics and the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum.
Muir-Harmony’s current research focuses on the history of space diplomacy, examining how Project Apollo shaped and mediated the United States’ role on the global stage.
She is the author of Apollo to the Moon: A History in 50 Objects (National Geographic, 2018) and has written on the history of science diplomacy, the material culture of spaceflight, and the political history of space exploration.
Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony was a member of MIT’s Space Policy & Society Research Group, which produced The Future of Human Spaceflight (2009).
Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony’s research and writing have been supported by the Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, the Consortium for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine, the MIT Presidential Fellowship, the Smithsonian Institution Graduate Research Fellowship, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, and the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony serves on the Smithsonian exhibit committees for Destination Moon and One World Connected and is the historical advisor for a six-part television series on Project Apollo. In addition, Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony co-organizes the Space Policy & History Forum and teaches in Georgetown University’s Science, Technology, and International Affairs program.
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Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Project Apollo
The moon landing was an important moment in history, but many forget what was happening behind the scenes — discover the groundbreaking political history of the Apollo program in this riveting exploration of America’s space missions.
Since July 1969, Neil Armstrong’s first step on the Moon has represented the pinnacle of American space exploration and grand scientific achievement. Yet, as Smithsonian curator Teasel Muir-Harmony argues in Operation Moonglow, its primary purpose wasn’t advancing science. Rather, it was part of a political strategy to build a global coalition. Starting with President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 decision to send astronauts to the Moon to promote American “freedom” over Soviet “tyranny,” Project Apollo was central to American foreign relations.
From that perspective, the critical event did not just take place on the lunar surface, it took place in homes, public squares, palaces, and schools around the world, as Apollo captured global attention like never before.
After the Moon landing, the Apollo astronauts and President Richard Nixon traveled the world to amplify the sense of participation and global unity shared by billions of people who followed the flight.
Drawing on a rich array of untapped archives and firsthand interviews with Apollo astronauts, Operation Moonglow paints a riveting picture of the intersection of spaceflight, geopolitics, propaganda, and diplomacy during the Cold War.
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