Bottom line, it’s next to useless to divine an overriding impetus for the moonshot decision. Quite possibly because there was never one in the first place.

Thanks for that comment, and you are completely right. And post like that are the reason I continue to read this blog, BTW.

“I was in Turkey when Armstrong stepped out on the moon. I remember a Turkish man who spoke only a little English grabbing my arm, pointing at the orb in the sky, and saying excitedly “Neil Armstong! Neil Armstrong is on the moon!””

The ‘soft power’ projected by Apollo astronauts visiting foreign lands on post-lunar goodwill tours remains a rare, extraordinary and unique event in the annals of international diplomacy. Witnessed it first hand while residing overseas during the Apollo days. A lunar crew presenting fragments of moon rocks with photos of Earth to heads of state to display in foreign lands; greeting their leaders and engaging with citizenry left a far more lasting– and favorable– impression of the United States in that era than some kid walking a post with an M-16 slung over his shoulder.

I wish I knew your real name, because that was a memorable comment.

Thanks.

“With China coming on the scene as a space exploring nation, I dont see the USA stopping its HSF program.”

Contrary to what the Shuttle and Constellation supporters would have you believe, no one has actually proposed this. And certainly not anyone here.

“I think it will continue if for no other reasons than keeping a bit of an upper military advantage.”

But currently there is no *military* HSF program.

“Do all of you want human spaceflight ended while China sails overhead?”

Again, no one suggests that, China or not. And currently, China ‘sails overhead’ about once every two years…

@ vulture 4:

“…so costly it would sap the military resources of both.”

And yet, we went to the Moon at the height of our involvement in Vietnam. Still..

“I did not know it at the time, but _that_ is why we went to the moon.”

And this is one of many reasons why we need not return to the Moon in an Apollo-like manner. Time was of the essence, and drove us to single-launch missions on an HLV. China can’t be the ‘new’ Soviet Union to beat, and we’d just develop a system optimized to that end, again. (some seem to be insisting on it, anyway) Space stations (plural) and orbital assembly/refueling/checkout as conceived long before Apollo, please…

With China coming on the scene as a space exploring nation, I dont see the USA stopping its HSF program. It justwouldnt be prudent. I think it will continue if for no other reasons than keeping a bit of an upper military advantage. Do all of you want human spaceflight ended while China sails overhead?

Your military has its own space program, NASA HSF is completely irrelevant to any “upper military advantage”.
China isn’t the Soviet Union, and you’re not in a “Space Race, Part 2″ with them. Trying to use this as a justification for human spaceflight, especially dead-end programs like SLS/MPCV, will not work and ends up doing more harm than good.

Scare tactics is a piss poor way of advocating something, especially if the threat is not real.

How about supporting American human spaceflight because you’re a vital part of an international cooperation to learn how to extend human presence into space?

Sounds much more positive, doesn’t it.

Unfortunately even today Armstrong does not appear to understand why he was sent. It had nothing to do with the fantasies of “exploration” taken so seriously today.

Kennedy was under pressure because the nonaligned countries were lining up behind the Soviets, who appeared to have the fast road to industrial power, and eventually we would be forced to surrender leadershiop or risk all-out war. I remember living in Manhatten during the air raid drills of the Cuban Missile Crisis, wondering how long the final twenty minutes of my life would seem if someone’s finger slipped on the trigger, what it would be like to be vaporized with eight million others. Kennedy had to divert the conflict from the race in nuclear arms to a symbolic contest that would not destroy humanity, but it had to be a prize so compelling that neither side could ignore it, so costly it would sap the military resources of both. The deadline was not the first day of 1970, or even 71. The deadline he gave von Braun was anytime before the Soviets landed. But the real deadline was the unknown moment that missiles would launch, and it was coming closer.

I was in Turkey when Armstrong stepped out on the moon. I remember a Turkish man who spoke only a little English grabbing my arm, pointing at the orb in the sky, and saying excitedly “Neil Armstong! Neil Armstrong is on the moon!” The Soviet forces just across the border were forgotten, the withdrawal of American missiles from Turkey as the price for those in Cuba was irrelevant. America was ascendant.

I did not know it at the time, but _that_ is why we went to the moon.