May 25, 1961 – JFK Vows to Land an American on the Moon
Fifty-one years ago, JFK vowed to land a man on the moon.
In a Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National Needs, President Kennedy declared:
“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.”
His speech came twenty days after Alan Shepard piloted the Freedom 7 mission and became the second person, and the first American, to travel into space.
President Kennedy pins NASA's Distinguished Service Medal on Alan Shepard - May 8, 1961
Kennedy‘s speech to congress continued:
“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. We propose to accelerate the development of the appropriate lunar space craft. We propose to develop alternate liquid and solid fuel boosters, much larger than any now being developed, until certain which is superior. We propose additional funds for other engine development and for unmanned explorations–explorations which are particularly important for one purpose which this nation will never overlook: the survival of the man who first makes this daring flight. But in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon–if we make this judgment affirmatively, it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there.”
For a thrilling fictional account of President Kennedy‘s illustrious life and tragic assassination, check out novel DESTINATION DEALEY: Countdown to the Kennedy Conspiracy.
Tags: Assassination, Conspiracy, JFK, Kennedy, NASA, Popular Culture, Presidents, Space Program, Speeches
