On May 25, 1961 in an address to a joint session of Congress President John F. Kennedy challenged the USA to "...land a man on the Moon by the end of the decade." Americans of all ages are familiar with both this famous JFK quote and the subsequent Neil Armstrong speechlet: "This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind..." issued by the astronaut from the lunar surface with nearly six months still showing on JFK's End-of-Decade Shot Clock.
The part of Kennedy's moonwalk challenge that most Americans have forgotten (or, more likely, were never taught) is that the essential reason for his asking Americans to undertake this monumental task was not for the technological advancements that would accrue from a ramped-up space exploration program nor from an increase in national pride and morale but, in JFK's own words . . .
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