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Wednesday, April 23, 2008 9:16 PM

John F Kennedy, one of the best presidents of our time, helped us begin to understand space exploration, and helped us get closer to equal and civil rights. It started with his Inaugural Address following his domestic goals including space exploration and ending segregation.
His first goal was Space Exploration; he wanted to have the first man on the moon before Russia had their people on the moon. “Scientists don’t know anything about the surface of the moon”, adding that the landing attempt could be ‘a terrible disaster’ if NASA doesn’t find out ahead of time what the lunar surface is like” - Jerome Weisner, Kennedy’s science adviser. A special joint section of congress had the ambitious goal of sending an America safely to the moon before the end of the decade. JFK felt pressure to have the US “Catch up and overtake” the Soviet Union in the “Space Race” (Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human is space April 12, 1961). “This is, whether we like or not, a race. Every thing we do (in space) ought to be tied into getting to the moon ahead of the Russians.”
JFK agreed to start the “Mercury” project because we had enough technology and education to develop a good first plan to space. Project mercury made its way into space with its 34-hour orbital mission of Astronaut Cooper.
The second manned space launch was sent with objectives of: subjecting a man and equipment to space flight up to two weeks in duration, to rendezvous and dock with orbiting vehicles and maneuver the docked combination by using the target vehicles propulsion system, last but not least to prefect the methods of entering the atmosphere and landing at a pre-selected point on land. Announced on January 1962, project “Gemini” became the second planed launch into our galaxy.
Then John F Kennedy then agreed to start the “Apollo” project to the surface of the moon. “We choose to go to the moon! We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard.” They achieved their goal on July 20, 1969- Apollo II commander Neil Armstrong triumphantly stepped on the moon. The Moon landing was a huge accomplishment for Americans. So JFK helped us achieve our goal to the moon with many rewards and also consequences. “Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead if it terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce.
One of the hugest and most difficult goals Kennedy had, had been civil rights. The civil rights act or acts started with the famous Montgomery bus boycott in 1955. With Rosa parks coming home to her family on a segregated bus, took a stand when a white man asked her to give up her seat. Rosa sent the message and was later arrested.
Many other acts for freedom continued with Sit-ins and Freedom rides. One huge spark in the fight for civil rights was the southern university desegregation. Many Whites protested against it and dropped out of their classes. March on Washington took its toll with its leader Martin Luther king in 1963.

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