Which of the following was not a perception that the media perpetuated about the space program in the 1960s?
the space program was in competition with the soviet union to be the first to the moon.
it was patriotic to support the space program.
astronauts were smart but foolish for wanting to go into space.
successfully landing on the moon first would show the world the us’s superiority

NOT a perception about the space program: That "astronauts were smart but foolish for wanting to go into space."

During the 1960s, the space program conducted by NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) captured the imagination and excitement of the nation. Astronauts were considered not just smart, but incredibly brave. They were the role models everyone admired. John Kass of the Chicago Tribune reminisced about his childhood in the '60s: "When we were boys we had heroes. But they weren't athletes or entertainers. Athletes were certainly heroes to many in America, entertainers too, but they didn't have what we wanted. They weren't astronauts" ("When the Heroes Were Astronauts," Chicago Tribune, December 9, 2016). Kids in America wanted to grow up to be astronauts, and astronauts had the admiration of the whole nation.