John F. Kennedy's - We Choose to Go to the Moon - 1962
On September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered a historic speech at Rice University in Houston, Texas, in which he announced that the United States had set a goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth before the end of the decade. The speech was given during the height of the Cold War, and Kennedy framed the space race as a battle between the United States and the Soviet Union for technological and ideological superiority. He argued that the pursuit of space exploration was not just a matter of scientific curiosity, but also a matter of national security and prestige. Kennedy acknowledged that the goal of landing a man on the moon would be difficult and expensive, but he argued that the benefits of the effort would be far-reaching and long-lasting. He spoke of the advances in science and technology that would be necessary to achieve the goal, and he highlighted the potential economic and educational benefits that would result from a robust space pro...