Why Did Kennedy Decide To Go To The Moon

On May 25, 1961 President John F. Kennedy announced to the world an ambitious space program that the United States would accomplish within the decade. The program called for multiple weather satellites, a rover nuclear rocket, and of course the mission to put astronauts on the moon. Kennedy proclaimed to a crowd of over 35,000 people and millions more at home, “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 unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win (Kennedy 5).” Kennedy understood that the Soviets had proven to have more advanced technology and were ahead in the space race. The plans that Kennedy called for in his speech were intended to show the world, specifically the Soviet Union, what the United States was capable of technologically. Kennedy’s words also inspired countless Americans and renewed hope and patriotism in the ongoing Cold

The moon landing represented a major victory over the Soviet Union for the United States during a troubling time. For many, the moon landing is the United States’ greatest achievement. Steven Dick, NASA's chief historian, considers the moon landing to be the crowning achievement of the 20th century and goes on to say that "Putting a man on the moon not only inspired the nation, but also the world" (Roach 1). It is apparent that the moon landing was more than just an accomplishment for the United States in Neil Armstrong’s famous quote, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” (Dunbar 4). Armstrong does not single out one nationality, race, or ethnicity; rather he states that the moon landing was an achievement for mankind as a