An optimistic and upbeat President John F. Kennedy suggests that the Soviet Union and the United States cooperate on a mission to mount an expedition to the moon. The proposal caught both the Soviets and many Americans off guard.
In 1961, shortly after his election as president, John F. Kennedy announced that he was determined to win the 鈥渟pace race鈥 with the Soviets. Since 1957, when the Soviet Union sent a small satellite鈥Sputnik鈥攊nto orbit around the earth, Russian and American scientists had been competing to see who could make the next breakthrough in space travel. Outer space became another frontier in the Cold War. Kennedy upped the ante in 1961 when he announced that the United States would put a man on the moon before the end of the decade.
Much had changed by 1963, however. Relations with the Soviet Union had improved measurably. The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 had been settled peacefully. A 鈥渉ot line鈥 had been established between Washington and Moscow to help avert conflict and misunderstandings. A treaty banning the open air testing of nuclear weapons had been signed in 1963. On the other hand, U.S. fascination with the space program was waning. Opponents of the program cited the high cost of the proposed trip to the moon, estimated at more than $20 billion. In the midst of all of this, Kennedy, in a speech at the United Nations, proposed that the Soviet Union and United States cooperate in mounting a mission to the moon. 鈥淲hy,鈥 he asked the audience, 鈥渢herefore, should man鈥檚 first flight to the moon be a matter of national competition?鈥 Kennedy noted, 鈥渢he clouds have lifted a little鈥 in terms of U.S.-Soviet relations, and declared 鈥淭he Soviet Union and the United States, together with their allies, can achieve further agreements鈥攁greements which spring from our mutual interest in avoiding mutual destruction.鈥
Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko applauded Kennedy鈥檚 speech and called it a 鈥済ood sign,鈥 but refused to comment on the proposal for a joint trip to the moon. In Washington, there was a good bit of surprise鈥揳nd some skepticism鈥揳bout Kennedy鈥檚 proposal. The 鈥渟pace race鈥 had been one of the focal points of the Kennedy administration when it came to office, and the idea that America would cooperate with the Soviets in sending a man to the moon seemed unbelievable. Other commentators saw economics, not politics, behind the proposal. With the soaring price tag for the lunar mission, perhaps a joint effort with the Soviets was the only way to save the costly program. What might have come of Kennedy鈥檚 idea is unknown鈥搄ust two months later, he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. His successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, abandoned the idea of cooperating with the Soviets but pushed ahead with the lunar program. In 1969, the United States landed a man on the moon, thus winning a significant victory the 鈥渟pace race.鈥