We choose to go to the Moon

The Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort (commonly known by the sentence in the middle of the speech "We choose to go to the Moon") was a speech on September 12, 1962, by John F. Kennedy, the president of the United States. Its aim was to bolster public support for his proposal to land a man on the Moon and return him safely back to Earth before the end of the decade. Kennedy gave the speech, largely written by presidential advisor and speechwriter Ted Sorensen, to a large crowd at Rice University Stadium in Houston, Texas. In his speech, Kennedy characterized space as a new frontier, invoking the pioneer spirit that dominated American folklore. He infused the speech with a sense of urgency and destiny, and emphasized the freedom enjoyed by Americans to choose their destiny rather than have it chosen for them. Although he called for competition with the Soviet Union, the president also proposed making the Moon landing a joint project. The speech resonated widely, although there was disquiet about the cost and value of the Moon-landing effort. Kennedy's goal was realized posthumously, on July 20, 1969, with the Apollo program's successful Apollo 11 mission.

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