Feeling the sense of urgency to overtake the Soviets in the space race, U.S. President John F. Kennedy made a statement toward a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961, stating that before the decade is out, he plans to launch a man to the Moon and return him safely to the Earth.
In an effort to outpace the Soviets in the space rivalry, U.S. President John F. Kennedy addressed a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961, declaring that he aims to launch a human to the lunar surface and safely return them to Earth before the end of the decade.