JFK to LBJ on the
Space Program
THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON
April 20, 1961
MEMORANDUM FOR VICE
PRESIDENT
In accordance with
our conversation I would like for you as Chairman of the Space Council to be in
charge of making an overall survey of where we stand in space.
1.
Do
we have a chance of beating the Soviets by putting a laboratory in space, or by
a trip round the moon, or by a rocket to land on the moon, or by a rocket to go
to the moon and back with a man? Is there any other space program which
promises dramatic results in which we could win?
2.
How
much additional would it cost?
3.
Are
we working 24 hours a day on existing programs? If not, why not? If not, will
you make recommendations to me as to how work can be speeded up?
4.
In
building large boosters should we put our emphasis on nuclear, chemical or
liquid fuel, or a combination of these three?
5.
Are
we making maximum effort? Are we achieving necessary results?
I have asked Jim
Webb, Dr. Wiesner, Secretary McNamara and other responsible officials to
cooperate with you fully. I would appreciate a report on this at the earliest
possible moment.
John F. Kennedy
LBJ to JFK on the Space Program
OFFICE
OF THE VICE PRESIDENT WASHINGTON, D.C.
April 28, 1961
MEMORANDUM FOR
PRESIDENT
Subject: Evaluation
of Space Program.
Reference is to your
April 20 memorandum asking certain questions regarding this country’s space
program. A detailed survey has not been completed in this time period. The examination
will continue. However, what we have obtained so far from knowledgeable and
responsible persons makes this summary reply possible.… The following general
conclusions can be reported:
a.
Largely
due to their concentrated efforts and their earlier emphasis upon the
development of large rocket engines, the Soviets are ahead of the United States
in world prestige attained through impressive technological accomplishments in
space.
b.
The
U.S. has greater resources than the USSR for attaining space leadership but has
failed to make the necessary hard decisions and to marshal those resources to
achieve such leadership.
c.
This
country should be realistic and recognize that other nations, regardless of
their appreciation of our idealistic values, will tend to align themselves with
the country which they believe will be the world leader—the winner in the long
run. Dramatic accomplishments in space are being increasingly identified as a
major indicator of world leadership. . . .
Q.1- Do we have a
chance of beating the Soviets by putting a laboratory in space, or by a trip
around the moon, or by a rocket to land on the moon, or by a rocket to go to
the moon and back with a man. Is there any other space program which promises
dramatic results in which we could win?
A.1- The Soviets now have a rocket capability for putting a
multi-manned laboratory into space and have already crash-landed a rocket on
the moon. They also have the booster capability of making a soft landing on the
moon with a payload of instruments, although we do not know how much
preparation they have made for such a project. As for a manned trip around the
moon or a safe landing and return by a man to the moon, neither the U.S. nor
the USSR has such capability at this time, so far as we know. The Russians have
had more experience with large boosters and with flights of dogs and man. Hence
they might be conceded a time advantage in circumnavigation of the moon and
also in a manned trip to the moon. However, with a strong effort, the United States
could conceivably be first in those two accomplishments by 1966 or 1967. There
are a number of programs which the United States could pursue immediately and
which promise significant world-wide advantage over the Soviets. Among these
are communications satellites, and navigation and mapping satellites. These are
all areas in which we have already developed some competence.
Q.3- Are we working
24 hours a day on existing programs? If not, why not? If not, will you make
recommendations to me as to how work can be speeded up?
A.3- There is not a
24-hour-a-day work schedule on existing NASA space programs except for selected
areas in Project Mercury, the Saturn C-1 booster, the Centaur engines and the
final launching phases of most flight missions. . . .
Q.5- Are we making
maximum effort? Are we achieving necessary results?
A.5- We are neither
making maximum effort nor achieving results necessary if this country is to
reach a position of leadership.
Lyndon B. Johnson