50 years ago a promise made, a promise kept: going to the moon

[TexasTowelie]

President John F. Kennedy addresses a crowd at Rice Stadium in Houston Sept. 12, 1962

America believed him.

Half a century after President Kennedy's famous Moon speech at Rice University, what's perhaps most remarkable is that people took him at his word.

"We choose to go to the moon," Kennedy said. "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.'' And America did just what Kennedy said the country could do - put men on the Moon before the end of the 1960s.

"I can remember it clearly today,'' said Bob Gomel, then a photographer for LIFE magazine. "He has his fist clenched on the podium, and his delivery was so dynamic. He made all of us believe this was possible and achievable."

More at http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/50-years-ago-a-promise-made-a-promise-kept-3856536.php

[sonias]

1. That moon shot inspired a whole generation

I think the Curiosity rover mission to Mars is doing a little bit now too. Maybe not on the scale of JFK but we are seeing where the Government (NASA) can do amazing things and do them cheaply. Optimism can be infections. Pass it on!

If we could only tap into the war budget for good - this world would be a much, much better place.

[4th law of robotics]

2. The really sad thing is that fully funding NASA

doesn't even require any hard decisions, cuts, or tax raises.

I could understand the push to reduce NASAs budget if it did. I wouldn't agree but I could see why some would put them on the chopping block in front of the military or social welfare.

But we could fully fund them with what amounts to a rounding error in most other departments budgets.

But it's still too much.