ABSTRACT
On May 25, 1961, John F Kennedy made a speech to the US Congress committing his government to land a man on the Moon before the end of the 1960s. His inspiring speech was full of passion and promised that this ‘greatest of all adventures’ would rebuild the country's confidence, which had been badly dented by Soviet successes in space:
‘No single space project in this period will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish …’
