May 25, 1961: JFK challenges nation to land on moon within decade
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President John F. Kennedy urged Congress to commit billions of dollars to send U.S. astronauts to the moon because we didn't want the Soviet Union to get there first.
Speaking in the U.S. Capitol, Kennedy challenged the nation to commit itself to landing an astronaut on the moon and returning him safely to Earth before the end of the decade. |
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"No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish," he said. Landing on the moon was the major part of a space race that also included launch of weather and communications satellites and unmanned explorations that would cost seven to nine billion dollars over the next five years, he said.
He warned that to succeed, bureaucrats cannot operate in their normal fashion. "It means a degree of dedication, organization and discipline which have not always characterized our research and development efforts. It means we cannot afford undue work stoppages, inflated costs of material or talent, wasteful interagency rivalries, or a high turnover of key personnel," he said.
Launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, of course, the U.S. landed men on the moon before the decade was over -- with only a few months to spare -- on July 20, 1969. Read the story in the Miami News: Kennedy Shoots For the Moon |
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