Apollo Missionss Motivation

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The motivation for the Apollo missions started with the space race in the mid 1950’s between the U.S. and the former U.S.S.R. The outcome of this race would tell the world which country was the best, and had the most advanced technology. Russia took the lead, launching Sputnik I in October, 1957. The United States launched its first satellite in October of 1958. Both of these satellites were unmanned but led to manned missions. More motivation that led to the Apollo missions came from a 1961 speech by President Kennedy. His goal was a manned mission to and from the moon by 1970. His dream was accomplished in July of 1969. Sadly, President Kennedy didn’t live to see Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. Advances in computers, medical practices,