The recent revelations that J.F. Kennedy had no real interest in Space Exploration and only saw it was a race against the Soviets is IMHO not the slightest bit suprising. It is interesting that NASA's administrator back then, James Webb was opposed to Space Exploration being debased into a propaganda exercise. I remember people compaining back then that the Moon Race was a bit like a circus act where they shoot a guy from a cannon. It is my understanding that the old NASA people wanted a slow systematic approach towards getting mankind into space. For example they were against space capsules like Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Instead they wanted to evolve the X-15 into a Space Shuttle or a rocket launched reusable winged reentry vehicle like Dynasoar. A systematic approach to space would have involved first establishing cheap access to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), then building a space station in LEO. Once the space station was built, it would be used as a staging area for lunar investigation. Finally a Mars program would be slowly evolved into. It was a good plan but not what Kennedy was interested in.

It is my understanding the real driving force behind Space Exploration in the 1960s was NOT Kennedy but rather Lyndon Johnson (LBJ). LBJ as Kennedy's Vice President did the initial political work in preparation for Kennedy's speech. Once Kennedy made his speech, it was LBJ who did much of the spade work in terms of sheparding the Space Program through Congress. After Kennedy's assassination, LBJ was an enthusiatic supporter of the Space Program. He took a personal interest in it. It is unfortunate the Kennedy gets the credit for the Moon Program because it really was Johnson's baby. It is interesting to speculate what would have happened to the Space Program had Johnson been able to be reelected in 1968. This was politically impossible of course due to the Vietnam War.

Gary