How John Denver almost ended up on Nasa’s first space shuttle
by themoneyoffice2.com@gmail.com February 19, 2024 · Space / Space Exploration
(Credits: Far Out / RCA Records)
John Denver is among the most beloved folk and country musicians of his generation. Through penning over 200 tracks during his career, Denver cemented himself as one of America’s favourite songwriters and entertainers. The musician was often noted for his outspoken political views, heavily criticising the neoliberalist government of Ronald Reagan and regularly campaigning for the Democratic Party. However, it is a lesser-known fact that Denver was absolutely infatuated with space exploration.
Born in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1943, it should come as no surprise that Denver was fascinated with outer space. After all, in 1947, the small military city was the setting for ‘the Roswell incident’ after a mysterious plane crash resulted in reports that the US government had ‘captured’ a bonafide UFO. The incident led to countless conspiracy theories and myths, including that the government had captured an alien being, which they proceeded to perform an autopsy on. With Denver only three years old at the time, it is unlikely that he would remember such an occurrence, but the myths surrounding the city must have captured his imagination as a child.
Following a childhood of alienation and loneliness, the American began a long and illustrious career in music recording. Penning such unforgettable tracks as ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ and ‘Poems, Prayers and Promises’, Denver managed to carve out an incredibly successful career in the industry. However, it was not long before his fascination with space travel came to the forefront.
The son of a decorated US Air Force pilot, Denver always had an interest in flight. Spending many years on the National Space Society board of governors, the country star was recruited by Nasa to formulate the ill-fated ‘Citizens in Space’ programme, for which he received the ‘Nasa Exceptional Public Service Medal’ in 1985. The programme was an attempt by Nasa to send ordinary people into space, and Denver wanted in.
After passing various medical tests, Denver was ultimately passed over by Nasa. Various other celebrities were also rejected from the programme, including journalists Geraldo Rivera, Tom Wolfe and Walter Cronkite. Ultimately, the public school teacher Christa McAuliffe instead.
Denver’s disappointment at not being chosen quickly turned to relief. The space shuttle Challenger, which was due to take McAuliffe into space, exploded 73 seconds after takeoff, killing McAuliffe and the other six crew members on board. The 1986 disaster put an end to all future ‘Citizens in Space’ plans held by Nasa.
The singer was later inspired by the tragic events of the Challenger disaster, writing the track ‘Flying For Me’ about his desire to go to space and how McAuliffe was ‘flying for [him]’. Denver never gave up on his dreams of space flight, reportedly talking to the Soviet space programme about a potential flight – though this soon fell through when Denver was presented with the $20million price tag.
