“We have vowed that we shall see space filled not with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding"
-President Kennedy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, September 12, 1962
President Kennedy was eager for the United States to lead the way in exploring space. The Soviet Union was ahead of the United States, having launched the first satellite Sputnik in 1957 and the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin to orbit around the earth in 1961.
President Kennedy said, “No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space.” In 1961 Kennedy asked Congress to approve more than twenty two billion dollars for Project Apollo, which had the goal of landing an American man on the moon before the end of the decade.
First, go to this website at the JFK Museum. Read the introduction and the JFK and Space material.
Read the telegram and the two memos and answer the SIX questions that follow:
Telegram A.
On April 12, 1961 cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin from the Soviet Union orbited around the
earth in 108 minutes. The same day President Kennedy wrote a telegram to Premier Nikita
Khrushchev congratulating the Soviets on the first successful manned flight.
Memo B.
A few days later President Kennedy wrote a memo on April 20, 1961 to Vice President
Lyndon B. Johnson, who was the chairman of the Space Council.
Memo C.
Eight days later, Vice President Johnson responded to President Kennedy’s memo.
1. In the telegram to Premier Nikita Khrushchev, how does President Kennedy say he would like the United States and the Soviet Union to work on exploring outer space?
In the telegram to Premier Nikita Khrushchev, President Kennedy congratulates the Soviets for being the first nation to send a man into space. Kennedy also states that he hopes the United States and the Soviet Union can work together on exploring outer space.
2. In the memo to Vice President Lyndon Johnson, what is President Kennedy's main objective?
In the memo to Vice President Lyndon Johnson, President Kennedy's main objective is to beat the Soviets in the race for space. He desires for the Chairman of the Space Council to make a survey of where they stand in space. Kennedy wants to know how much it will cost, if they are working 24 hours a day on existing programs and if not, why not, should they put an emphasis on nuclear fuel, chemical, or liquid fuel, and if they are making the maximum effort.
3. What is the main difference between what President Kennedy says in the telegram and what he says in the memo in terms of how the Americans and the Soviets should explore
outer space?
There is a big difference between what Kennedy says in the telegram and what he says in the memo in terms of how the Americans and the Soviets should explore outer space. In the telegram, Kennedy suggests that the space race is not a competition and that he hopes the Soviets and the United States can work together to explore outer space. Kennedy seems happy and congratulatory towards the Soviets for their success in being the first nation to put a man in space. However, in the memo Kennedy seems very determined in having the United States beating the Soviets. He wants to know how they can beat the Soviets and how much it will cost. Also, he wants people working on their existing programs 24 hours a day and wants recommendations on how they can speed up the work.
4. Why do you think President Kennedy appears to be giving two conflicting statements?
I think President Kennedy appears to be giving two conflicting statements so he doesn't make the United States seem weak and the Soviets seem superior to them. If he acts like he is happy for the Soviets and has them believing he wants to work together, then the Soviets don't know how worried he actually is. Also, letting the Soviets think they beat the U.S would do nothing but determine them to work harder. In the telegram, Kennedy wants it to appear as if he isn't worried about the Soviets while he is secretly trying to increase U.S power in space through his memo to the Vice President.
5. How does Vice President Johnson connect the space race with the Cold War in his April 28th memo to President Kennedy?
President Johnson connects the space race with the Cold War in his April 28th memo to President Kennedy by stating that in order for the U.S to achieve such leadership, they need to make the necessary hard decisions and to use their resources since they have greater resources than the U.S.S.R. Johnson indicates that other countries tend to align themselves with the country that they think will be the world leader. With the Soviets ahead of the U.S in the space race, other countries would aligning themselves with the Soviets. The main goal of the Cold War was to stop the spread of Communism and be superior to the Soviet Union. Johnson states that in order for the United States to pass the Soviets, they need to act now if they want to gain leadership.
6. What are Vice President Johnson’s suggestions for the President?
Vice President Johnson's suggestions for the President are to start making a strong effort in beating Stalin because if they continue to wait leadership will have gone so far under Russian control and the United States will not be able to catch up. Johnson wants more effort and resources put into their space programs, however, in order to do that they would need a lot of money. Johnson suggests that the United States should pursue programs such as communications satellites, meteorological and weather satellites, and navigation and mapping satellites. Vice President Johnson suggests that if the United States acts now and starts becoming very determined and serious with their efforts in improving their space programs, they have a chance of beating the Soviet Union in the race for space.
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