ABSTRACT
President.Kennedy,.realizing.the.advantage.that.the.Soviets.had.gained.in. manned.exploration.of.space,.foresaw.that.unless.the.United.States.entered. into.a.race.with.the.communist-led.superpower.to.land.a.man.on.the.moon,. as. evidence. of. technological. superiority. and. by. implication. sociological. prowess,.the.battle.for.the.imaginations.of.people.everywhere.might.be.lost,. and.with.that.battle.conceivably.the.future.of.civilization.1.In.his.own.words. to.Congress,.the.charismatic.leader.of.the.free.world.said:2
If. we. are. to. win. the. battle. that. is. now. going. on. around. the. world.between.freedom.and.tyranny,.the.dramatic.achievements. in.space.which.occurred.in.recent.weeks.should.have.made.clear. to.all.of.us,.as.did.Sputnik.in.1957,.the.impact.of.this.adventure. on.the.minds.of.men.everywhere.….Now.it.is.time.to.take.longer. strides;.time.for.this.nation.to.take.a.clearly.leading.role.in.space. achievement,.which.in.many.ways.may.hold.the.key.to.our.future. on.Earth.….Space.is.open.to.us.now;.and.our.eagerness.to.share. its.meaning.is.not.governed.by.the.efforts.of.others..We.go.into. space.because.whatever.mankind.must.undertake,.free.men.must. fully.share.
