Kennedy Pledges to Support Space Program -- May 25, 1961
On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy in an address to Congress challenged the nation to "commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon." He asked Congress to find additional funds to support the nation's space program.
President Kennedy was committed to an aggressive space program. The Soviet Union had surpassed the United States in the space race by launching Sputnik, an artificial satellite, in 1957. Since space technology demonstrated potential weapons, this competition became an important aspect of the Cold War. Although Kennedy realized the importance of space exploration to the military, he remained firmly committed to a civilian-controlled program of manned space flights. With the encouragement of Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Kennedy appealed to Congress to increase spending on the space program in the hopes of surpassing the Soviets.
Then, on February 20, 1962, Astronaut John Glenn aboard the Mercury craft Friendship 7 became the first American to orbit the earth. Both the Kennedy administration and the American people celebrated Glenn's space flight. But Kennedy did not live to see his dream come true when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in July 1969.
To read an excerpt of Kennedy's speech about the goal of sending a man to the moon, please click here.
For more information, please visit the John Fitzgerald Kennedy home page or go to more Events in Presidential History.
