Why did JFK go to the moon?

Why did JFK go to the moon?

As President Kennedy’s speech at Rice University suggests, the decision to go to the Moon and the space program were motivated, in part, by the Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Did JFK make it to the Moon?

On May 25, 1961, he announced the goal of landing a man on the Moon before a joint session of Congress. At that point, the total time spent in space by an American was barely 15 minutes. President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961, declaring to Congress the goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade.

When did JFK go to the moon?

The Decision to Go to the Moon: President John F. Kennedy’s May 25, 1961 Speech before Congress. On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced before a special joint session of Congress the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the Moon before the end of the decade.

How long was JFK’s moon speech?

September 12, 1962. See and hear the entire speech for 56K modem download [8.7 megabytes in a . asf movie format which requires Windows Media Player 7 (speech lasts about 33 minutes)]. See and hear the entire speech for higher speed access [25.3 megabytes in .

What was the purpose of going to the Moon?

The Moon will provide scientists with new views of early Earth, how the Earth-Moon system and the solar system formed and evolved, and the role of asteroid impacts in influencing Earth’s history — and possibly future! The Moon presents numerous exciting engineering challenges.

Who was the first person who went to the Moon?

Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin were the first of 12 human beings who walked on the Moon. Four of America’s moonwalkers are still alive: Aldrin (Apollo 11), David Scott (Apollo 15), Charles Duke (Apollo 16), and Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17).

How long would the flight to the Moon take?

about 3 days
It takes about 3 days for a spacecraft to reach the Moon. During that time a spacecraft travels at least 240,000 miles (386,400 kilometers) which is the distance between Earth and the Moon.

Why do we go to the moon speech?

We choose to go to the Moon…We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are …

What did President Kennedy say about going to the Moon?

Watch the full speech in the NASA clip below, where Kennedy proclaims his famous line, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

What did John F Kennedy say about the Moon?

Speaking before the United Nations on Sept. 20, 1963, he proposed “a joint expedition to the moon” and asked, “why should man’s first flight to the moon be a matter of national competition?” However much he might have wished to cooperate, Kennedy in 1961 had set the United States on a course to enter, and win, a race to the moon.

What are some interesting facts about John F Kennedy?

15 Interesting Facts about John F. Kennedy. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the second son of Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was not a healthy infant and when he contracted scarlet fever as a child, his father worried about him every single day.

What was John F Kennedy like in space?

Kennedy had a deep commitment to the political goal of beating the Soviets, but privately lacked a visionary interest in space, despite his often stirring public rhetoric (“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”).

What was the first president to go to the Moon?

NASA History Office The Decision to Go to the Moon: President John F. Kennedy’s May 25, 1961 Speech. before a Joint Session of Congress. On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced before a special joint session of Congress the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the Moon before the end of the decade.