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Speaker : There is historic news from behind the
Iron Curtain.
Man has traversed the reaches of outer space, and
that man is a Communist. Soviet pilot Yury Gagarin
in the spacecraft Vostok l successfully
lifted off the
face of the Earth flew his craft around the globe in
approximately 90 minutes and landed safely in the
Soviet Union. As with the flight of
Sputnik four
years ago this latest Russian achievement has caught
those in the American space program by surprise. The
seven American astronauts of the Mercury space
program suddenly find themselves jockeying
for second place. It has been reported that either
Gus Grissom, John Glenn or Alan B. Shepard will be
the first to fly the one-man Mercury space capsule.
Just when the flight will take place has been the
subject of much speculation. Tonight President
Kennedy is meeting with officials of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration to discuss not
just why we are losing the space race but perhaps if
it has already been lost.
Jerome Weisner : The Russian went into orbit.
James Webb : One orbit, yes.
Jerome Weisner : We can't even match that.
James Webb : Not yet.
Ted Sorenson : Gentlemen. President has been keeping
up with your hearings before Congress and
committees. For the purpose of tonight's meeting, we
can dispense with small
talk. He will want to know how we
can catch the Russians or better yet, leapfrog them.
Hugh Dryden : We can put a man on the moon before the
Russians. How about that? It'll take a concerted
national effort. Something
along
the lines of the
Manhattan Project.
Ted Sorenson : How much would it cost?
Hugh Dryden : Somewhere
between $10 billion and $20 billion.
David Bell : Pumping that much cash into the
private sector
could be popular.
Jerome Weisner : He will ask if there's anything we
can do for less of the taxpayers' dollars.
Ted Sorenson : What if we put up a space laboratory
of some kind?
Hugh Dryden : They'll beat us. If we get into a race
with them over heavy
lifting capabilities which is all
that putting up a space station will demonstrate
we're going to lose for at least the next five
years.
David Bell : Hugh, were you as sure about this when
you were working under Eisenhower?
Hugh Dryden : No, but the Soviets hadn't put a man in
space then. Most assuredly, the moon is their
ultimate objective.
David Bell : Red moon, huh? Who wants that hangin'
over our heads?
Jerome Weisner : As head of the president's science
advisory, I've gotta tell him that politics aside
there's no reason to put a man on the moon. The only
thing we'll get for our money is some rocks. So, put
a probe up, scoop some out, bring 'em back and tour
the world with them for propaganda purposes. You
don't need to send a man a quarter of a million
miles away to do that. And it sure as hell won't
cost $20 billion.
James Webb : Well, certainly the president realizes
that the moment a man steps on the moon will be a
definitive one in the history of the world.
David Bell : Especially when he sticks
Old Glory in it
and salutes.
Ted Sorenson : He's ready for us. Can the president
count on anything in the
immediate future?
James Webb : Yes, the second of May. We'll have an
American up on the second of May. |
