... the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This country was conquered by those who moved forward, and so will space.
John F. KennedyThe first man-made satellite to orbit the earth was named Sputnik. The first living creature in space was Laika. The first rocket to the Moon carried a red flag. The first photograph of the far side of the Moon was made with a Soviet camera. If a man orbits the earth this year his name will be Ivan.
John F. KennedyWe don't want to be like the leader in the French Revolution who said There go my people, I must find out where they are going so I can lead them.
John F. KennedyAeschylus and Plato are remembered today long after the triumphs of Imperial Athens are gone. Dante outlived the ambitions of thirteenth century Florence. Goethe stands serenely above the politics of Germany, and I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over cities, we too will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.
John F. Kennedy