JFK: We Chose To Go To The Moon

The Space Race between The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. has always an object of wonder to me. It was a story of exciting exploration, of entering the vast and harsh reaches of the unknown universe beyond our comforting blue sky. Hearing President Kennedy speak of the motivations for the United State's space program has taken a bit away from my romantic image of the Space Race, but has also done a bit to confirm it. Many times while listening to President Kennedy speak, I was shocked to hear what space exploration meant at the time. Not only was it a matter of international pride and scientific advancement, it was also a matter of national security. Kennedy spoke of traversing this final frontier for the sake of having a role in the way in which it is used. Kennedy stated, "only if the United States occupies a position of preeminence can we help decide weather this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war." In other words, without the guiding hand of the United States, this new extraterrestrial territory could become a tool of violence instead of knowledge and peace. Thus, it was the United State's duty to participate in the Space Race for the good of mankind. Such self righteous claims of the program being a necessary watchdog over the exploration of the universe beyond the world is obviously a statement of distrust towards the soviet union, the main competitor and enemy of America at the time. Still, in the midst of this convoluted motive, there was a message of scientific advancement for the good of all mankind. Being that this was the motivation that has lasted, that drove America's desire to crack the human genome, that now drives America's desire to create clean energy, the other less noble motivating factors are negligible. Thus, the Space Race brought a new era of scientific progress for the sake of humanity instead of international competition, though not all at once. Stil, this achievement marks the Space Race as a landmark alone, before even considering the obvious turning point of sending machines, life, and eventually humans past the bounds of Earth's atmosphere.


Kennedy 's speach at Rice University on September 12, 1962