著者

青砥 吉隆

出版者

国際基督教大学比較文化研究会 / ICU Society for the Study of Comparative Culture

雑誌

ICU比較文化 (ISSN:03895475)

巻号頁・発行日

no.46, pp.47-63, 2014-03

---

This study aims to highlight an aspect of the Apollo Program that has rarelybeen studied. The space program was a realistic answer to the very Americanquestion: "how should the United States commit to the rest of the world?"Through analyzing two speeches made by President Kennedy regarding sendingastronauts to the moon, the author tries to illustrate the untold purpose of thespace program and the way in which the president convinced Congress andAmerican people.On May 25, 1961, Kennedy made a speech titled "the Special Message tothe Congress on Urgent National Needs" in order to start up a space programthat aimed to send men to the moon and return them safely to Earth. Kennedydeclared the "Freedom Doctrine" in this speech. By claiming that Americanstrength and conviction imposed upon the nation the role of leader in freedom'scause, the president sought to persuade Congress to approve the program. Hewas firmly convinced that the Soviet supremacy in space, such as Sputnik-1 andthe first manned flight by Gagarin, had greatly weakened the United States inforeign affairs. America must have achieved a prominent victory in space in orderto win the battle on Earth between "Freedom and Tyranny."In a speech at Rice University on September 12, 1962, Kennedy stated thatthe United States should have a leading role in science and technology, andemphasized that the nation must win the space race by being "first." He believedthat science and technology, as well as Freedom, were aspects of Americannational identity. In addition, the president mentioned that it was difficult to keepspace peaceful unless the United States won the race against the Soviet Union.To be the first nation to land men on the moon meant not only preventing theRussians from extending their power in space, but also showing off their abilityto lead the world in every way.Freedom and scientific technologies, the national identity of the UnitedStates, were severely threatened in the early 1960s because of the overwhelmingsuperiority of the Soviet Union in space achievement. Under these very harshcircumstances, the United States regarded their rival as a formidable challenge tothe American raison d'être as the world's most advanced country. By spending 24billion dollars and successfully conducting the space program, the United Statestried to restore their image as the world's leader in freedom's cause and scientifictechnologies. As Kennedy himself articulated, the Apollo Program was an "act offaith and vision."