The Challenge of Space Exploration' 



By Robert C. Seamans, Jr. 



Associate Administrator 

 National Aeronautics and Space Administration 



It is here proposed to discuss the program of the National Aero- 

 nautics and Space Administration (NASA) for space exploration — a 

 program designed around the concept that men must participate di- 

 rectly in this exploration. Let me say at the outset that there is no 

 dichotomy between manned and unmanned spaceflight in NASA's 

 thinking and planning. Each of these approaches contributes im- 

 portant information, techniques, and developments to the other. We 

 are convinced that concurrent advancement of both unmanned and 

 manned spaceflight will pay off in a total science and technology of 

 far-reaching, even revolutionary, importance to mankind. 



WHY WE MUST ACCELERATE OUR SPACE PROGRAM 



I will first review the major reasons behind the President's decision 

 to accelerate our space program, including the landing of a team of 

 United States astronauts on the moon in this decade. The United 

 States must make this effort for urgent scientific, technological, politi- 

 cal, and economic reasons. In his May 25, 1961, state of the Union 

 message. President Kennedy said : 



Now is the time to act, to talie longer strides — time for a great new American 

 enterprise — time for this nation to take a clearly leading role in space achieve- 

 ment ... I believe that the nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, 

 Defore the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely 

 to earth. 



Four major reasons underlie the national decision to marshal the 

 resources required for leadership in space : 1, the quest for scientific 

 knowledge ; 2, direct and immediate application of satellites into oper- 

 ational systems; 3, the risk of delay in our space competition with 

 Communism; and 4, the technological advances and stunulus to our 

 economy that will emerge from the space effort. 



1 Address before the 1961 Air Force/Aerospace Corporation Symposium on Ballistic 

 Missile and Aerospace Technology, Los Angeles, Calif., Aug. 29, 1961. The original 

 presentation has here been somewhat updated. 



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