 | Patsy Terrell is public relations and events coordinator of The Kansas Cosmosphere, located at 1100 N. Plum in Hutchinson. The Cosmosphere’s mission is to honor the past and inspire the future of space exploration. They provide information, education and entertainment with regard to science. You can contact Pasty by phone at 620-662-6305; by email at patsyt@cosmo.org or at The Kansas Cosmosphere, 1100 N. Plum, Hutchinson, KS 67501. |
Science
2011-05-01 15:19:00
What is considered to be man’s greatest achievement?
Question: What is considered to be man’s greatest achievement?
Answer: People have debated this question for a long time, but many agree it was putting a man on the moon. It was 50-years ago this month that President John F. Kennedy announced before a joint session of congress the lofty goal of putting a man on the moon – and returning him safely – before the end of the decade.
At the time of the speech, our success rate was about 18%. Needless to say, it was a bold ambition.
Kennedy made that speech on May 25, 1961. It was July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the lunar surface. When Armstrong made that historic leap for mankind, the Americans breathed a sigh of relief. They had won the space race, after multiple defeats by the Soviets.
Soviets put the first man into space on April 12, 1961. They put the first woman into space. They had the first space walk. All of those had followed the launch of Sputnik in 1957, when Americans realized if the Russians could put that into orbit they could put something harmful into orbit. It’s hard to understand the relationship of the two countries during the space race, but it was tense to say the least.
When Kennedy made his now-famous speech the political climate dictated he announce a program the US had a good chance of achieving. After consulting with Vice President Johnson, NASA Administrator James Webb, and other officials, he concluded that landing an American on the Moon would be a very challenging technological feat, but it was one arena where the Americans had a potential lead.
All of NASA’s human spaceflight programs, Mercury, Gemini and Apollo were designed to bring the vision Kennedy laid out in that speech to life. Along the way, people made tremendous sacrifices, including giving their lives.
The goal for supremacy over the Soviets in space was achieved before the end of the decade, just as Kennedy had outlined. The last landing on the moon was in December of 1972. Twelve men have walked on the moon. It is the only time humans have landed on another celestial body. And, although it’s hard to believe, it has been almost 40-years since we tried.
