adapted from The Goal of Sending a Man to the Moon
by John F. Kennedy




If we are to win the battle that i
going on around the world between freedom and tyranny, the dramatic achievements in space which occurred in
recent weeks should have made clear to us all the impact of this adventure on the minds of men everywhere. Since earty in my term, our efforts in space
have been under review. With the advice of the Vice President, we have examined where we
strong and wfiere we are not. where we may succeed and
where we may not. Now it is time to take longer strides-time for a great new American enterprise-time for this nation to take a clearly leading role in space.
achievement. This in many ways may hold the key to our future on earth.
Recognizing the head start obtained by the Soviets with their large rocket engines, we nevertheless are required to make new efforts on our own. For
while we cannot guarantee that we shall one day be first, we can guarantee that any failure to make this effort will make us last. We take an additional risk by
making it in full view of the world, but this very risk enhances our stature when we are successful. We go into space because whatever mankind must
undertake, free men must fully share.
therefore ask the Congress, above and beyond the increases I have earlier requested for space activities, to provide the funds which are needed to meet
the following national goals:
First, 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. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space. None will be
so difficult or expensive to accomolish. 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
must work to put him there.
Secondly, an additional 23 million dollars, togethier with 7 million dollars already available, will accelerate development of the Rover nuclear rocket. This
gives promise of some day providing a means for even more exciting and ambitious exploration of space. This will perhaps go boyand the moon, perhaps to
the very end of the solar system itself:
Third, an additional 50
communications.
dollars will make the most of our present leadership, by accelerating the use of space satellites for world-wide
Fourth, there will be an additional 75 million dollars- of which 53 million dollars is for the Weather Bureau. This will help give us at the earliest possible
time a satellite system for world-wide weather observation.
Let it be clear that l n asking the Congress and the country-toraccept : firm commitment to a new course of action- a course which will last for many
years and carry very heavy costs: 531 million dollars in fiscal 62-an estimated seven to nine billion dollars additional over the next five years. If we are to go
only half way, r reduce our sights the face of difficulty, in my jodgment it would be better not to go at all