Going to the Moon

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Create a Timeline

The Decision to Go to the Moon "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space, and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish." President John F. Kennedy, speech to U.S. Congress, May 25, 1961   The quote above was from President Kennedy's speech to Congress. This speech was made at a time when there was what was called a "Cold War" between the United States and the Soviet Union. At that time, the U.S. feared that it was falling behind the U.S.S.R. in both technological advances and standing in the eyes of the world. The U.S.S.R. launched the first artificial satellite into Earth orbit in October 1957. On April 12, 1961, six weeks before Kennedy's speech, the Soviets launched the first human into Earth orbit. Although the U.S. launched astronaut Alan Shepard on a brief, suborbital flight on May 5, 1961, they did not put an astronaut in orbit until February 1962. President Kennedy wanted an inspirational goal to rally the country. With the advice of Vice President Lyndon Johnson and the nation's scientific leadership, Kennedy settled on a manned lunar journey as a goal dramatic enough to capture the world's attention. This goal could not be achieved quickly, so it was felt that there would be enough time for the U.S. to overcome the Soviet Union's lead in space exploration. NASA turned its programs toward reaching the Moon. Project Mercury, already under way at the time, provided the U.S. its first experience with humans in space. In 1965 and 1966, Project Gemini provided experience in three areas that were crucial to reaching the Moon: long-duration spaceflight, extravehicular activity, and rendezvous and docking of spacecraft. Unmanned programs such as Project Ranger which provided our first close-up images of the Moon, also contributed. Project Surveyor provided images from the Moon's surface and analyses of the chemical composition and mechanical properties of the Moon's soil. The Lunar Orbiter photographed the entire Moon from low altitude orbit. It located landing sites for the Apollo Program. President Kennedy wanted man to land on the Moon before the end of the decade. Did the American space program accomplish that goal? When did the first astronauts walk on the Moon? What were important events in man's race to reach the Moon? These questions and more can be answered so that others can see what you have found out by creating timelines.( If you have the software program TimeLiner it can help you put together your timeline.) 1. First research the events that led to man landing on the Moon. These websites can help: Lunar Exploration Timeline of Exploration Apollo Missions 2. Decide what events to include on your timeline. 3. Decide what questions your timeline can help provide answers for. You might want to post a list of these questions near your timeline and see if classmates can find the answers.