60 years later, his words inspire a new generation
From words came actions
and reactions
President Kennedy chose the Moon “to serve and organize the best of our energy and skills.” In doing so, he forced the nation to confront immeasurable industrial and social challenges—the impact of which echoes to this very day.
Choose a topic to explore the impact.
Space Exploration
But why, some say, the Moon?
We choose to go to the Moon
But why, some say, the Moon?
We choose to go to the Moon
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“But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? …We choose to go to the Moon…not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
1962
NASA creates a launch operations center on Merritt Island, Florida, to accommodate the 363-foot-tall Saturn V rocket.
1962, con't.
This enormous platform was a direct answer to Kennedy’s Moonshot challenge and was named in his honor: the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
1969
Meeting the late President Kennedy’s goal, NASA launches Apollo 11 and lands people on the Moon for the first time.
1990
NASA launches the Hubble Space Telescope. Processed at the president’s namesake John F. Kennedy Space Center, the telescope has been an enormously useful and ever-inspiring tool in enhancing our understanding of the birth and death of stars, proving black holes exist, and much more.
2017
The Artemis program is created with the goal of establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon. The first crewed mission is planned to arrive in the south pole region of the Moon by 2024.
2021
The James Webb Space Telescope goes online for the first time. Its breathtaking images allow the world to see the most distant galaxies at a level of detail that has never been seen before.
2021, con't.
In the near future, this telescope could even aid in the search for life outside of our solar system by determining the chemical composition of planets that are light-years away from Earth.
Today
It's never been a more exciting time for space travel and exploration. The James Webb Space Telescope, now fully operational, continues to amaze and surprise scientists with images that challenge and redefine our understanding of the early Universe. And soon, with the launch of the first Artemis test mission, the Moon could be within our reach once again.