Strengthened the American Space Program
Kennedy demonstrated great dedication to reviving human space exploration. Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut, set records as the first man to journey into space in April 1961, when he used his Vostok 1 capsule to complete a full orbit of the earth. A Mercury test capsule sits atop a Redstone booster prior to a test launch at the Redstone Arsenal circa 1960. NASA. 1. America was never really behind the Soviets in the Space Race.
To counter this magnificent feast of their competitor nation, Kennedy delivered a strong oration in what would become known as the famous race to the moon, challenging Americans to dare to put US astronauts on the moon's surface in the next ten years. True to the president's words, the US manned Apollo missions successfully landed American astronauts on the moon's surface on July 20, 1969. Kennedy's life was tragically cut short before he could see the rewards of his lunar mission.
