The United States Moon Landing of 1969

1380 Words3 Pages

"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" (Kennedy). When John F. Kennedy said these famous words, he set the stage for one of the greatest accomplishments the United States of America has ever made. Over the course of that decade, the space race would be in full swing; a universal goal would unite the nation to achieve the dream of sending a man to the moon and safely back to earth. Through human determination, the United States made enough scientific breakthroughs to alter events back on planet earth. In one decade, this nation was able to prove that the sky is no longer the limit. How was the United States able to effectively accomplish such a colossal task, and what was the global significance at the time?
Why Go to the Moon?
As important of an endeavor as travelling to the moon was, a definite purpose to it is not immediately clear. However, it was a remarkable accomplishment for mankind, and the United States wanted to lead it. Millions of people watched the televised event because they knew this was an incredible advancement for humans (Redd). As Neil Armstrong made the first step, he summed up the point that this event would forever be an important achievement to the human race, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind" (Armstrong 268). At times it may seem that the development of new technology is stalling, but the moon landing proves that man is and will continue to make advancements. Only 66 years passed between the first airplane by the Wright Brothers and the moon landing (Stimson).
At the time of the space race, the United States was in the midst of the Cold War against the Soviet Union. Even in the early days of ...

... middle of paper ...

...4.
Redd, Nola T. "Apollo 11: First Men on the Moon." Space.com. TechMedia Network, 25 July 2012. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
Saran, Cliff. "Apollo 11: The Computers That Put Man on the Moon." Apollo 11: The Computers That Put Man on the Moon. TechTarget. Web. 16 May 2014.
Stimson, Richard. "Wright Brothers Tribute at Woodland Cemetary." Wright Stories Wright Brothers Inventing The Airplane History of Flight Kitty Hawk Wright Contemporaries Military Airplane RSS. Wright Stories, n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Apollo 11: Preliminary Science Report. By J. M. West, P. R. Bell, A. J. Calio, J. W. Harris, H. H. Schmitt, S. H. Simpkinson, W. K. Stephenson, and D. G. Wiseman. Springfield: Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, n.d. NASA. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.

More about The United States Moon Landing of 1969

Open Document