John F. Kennedy & The Apollo Program

On May 25, 1961, Kennedy announced his support for the Apollo program as part of a special address to a joint session of Congress.Quote of his speech-"First, 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 the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish." At the time of Kennedy's speech, only one American had flown in space. Some NASA employees doubted whether Kennedy's ambitious goal could be met. Answering President Kennedy's challenge and landing men on the moon by the end of 1969 required the most sudden burst of technological creativity, and the largest commitment of resources ($25 billion), ever made by any nation in peacetime. At its peak, the Apollo program employed 400,000 Americans and required the support of over 20,000 industrial firms and universities.