Which US president challenged America to be the first to put a man on the moon?
President John F. Kennedy
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy began a dramatic expansion of the U.S. space program and committed the nation to the ambitious goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade.
What did John F Kennedy say about going to the moon?
Watch the full speech in the NASA clip below, where Kennedy proclaims his famous line, “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.”
Who came up with the idea to go to the moon?
The Apollo program conjures images of Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon and the massive team effort involved in getting him there. But a fundamental decision that led to the successful lunar landings came largely as a result of one man’s determination to buck the system at NASA. That man was John C. Houbolt.
Why did us want to go to the moon?
Why did the US want to go to the Moon? A space race developed between the US and the then Soviet Union, after the 1957 launch of the first Soviet Sputnik satellite. When John F Kennedy became US President in 1961, many Americans believed they were losing the race for technological superiority to their Cold War enemy.
Who was president when the decision was made to go to the Moon?
The Decision to Go to the Moon: President John F. Kennedy’s May 25, 1961 Speech before a Joint Session of Congress On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced before a special joint session of Congress the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the Moon before the end of the decade.
When did NASA take the challenge to go to the Moon?
NASA met Kennedy’s challenge on July 20, 1969, when Apollo 11’s lunar module Eagle landed in the Sea of Tranquility. Here, astronaut Buzz Aldrin climbs down to the lunar surface. Now, NASA is indeed looking to return to the moon, as well as planning new journeys to Mars and beyond.
Who was president when Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon?
President Kennedy asked Congress for millions to fund this “urgent request”. In Context. On 21 July 1969, right on schedule, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the Moon, stepping onto the Moon’s surface in the Sea of Tranquillity at 0256 GMT.
When did NASA land a man on the Moon?
“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 Earth.” NASA fulfilled that goal on July 20, 1969, when Apollo 11’s lunar module Eagle touched down in the Sea of Tranquility, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin aboard.