Why did the Americans go to the moon, in the sixties

[Amechania]

"I have the greatest confidence in the mission Dave."

Well then open the pod-bay door already.

 

[Viker]

The only reason other than competing with the Soviets(now they're gone) would be exploration for resources. Exploitable resources have always been the prime motive behind any exploration.

 

[Amechania]

Kennedy at Rice: "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, er um, not because the are easy, but because they are, er um, hard."

 

[Majikthise]

In your opinion, what induced the Americans to spend millions of dollars on something so useless, unfruitful and above all dangerous?

I have to assume that the Government had money to waste in the sixties

The "computer" used for the mission was the equivalent of a 70s pocket calculator.
The knowledge gained on a human as well as a technological scale is allowing you to post on this website with such an ignorant query.
Ironic.

 

[Wirey]

This OP is grossly underinformed. The technological and financial benefits of the moon landings far outweighed their cost. And name the last time America rolled up it's collective sleeves and got a hard job done, and did it well. Of course, it's the NASA space program. The moon landings gave America a set of technological advantages that they rode for 30 years. Hardly a waste of money.

 

[Willamena]

I recall the moon landing effort as (no particular order).....
1) Compete with the Russkies
2) National pride
4) Technology benefits
3) Flat out ****ing cool!

Who knew that something so difficult then would work so well,
or that it wouldn't be met by foreign competition for so long?

Indeed. The Apollo-Soyuz test inspired me, even as a youngster.

 

[Ouroboros]

Sorry friend. Old joke

Whyd the chicken cross the road
To get to the other side
Whyd the pervert cross the road
he was stuck on the chicken

LOL!!!

Hey I just said it was old. I didn't say it was funny

:sorry1:

No apologies necessary.

The joke might be old, but I'm old enough to forget the good old jokes.

 

[Ouroboros]

To investigate the Monolith obviously.

Or it could have been to fight of the Nazis in space. I mean, they do have a gigantic secret station up there, don't they?

(For more information, see Iron Sky. )

 

[Wirey]

Or it could have been to fight of the Nazis in space. I mean, they do have a gigantic secret station up there, don't they?

(For more information, see Iron Sky. )

Loved that movie!

 

[esmith]

Hmm, well scadoodling around the webs about earlier space flight, I didn't realize you see Sputnik I with the naked eye. Purdy crazy.

I remember watching Sputnik fly over when I was in High School. A very humbling experience knowing that the dreaded Soviets basically beat us into space. That was an major turning point in American thinking (IMO).

 

[Scott C.]

In your opinion, what induced the Americans to spend millions of dollars on something so useless, unfruitful and above all dangerous?

I have to assume that the Government had money to waste in the sixties

America saw space as a frontier to be explored. It made perfect sense to go back then. We needed to see for ourselves.

 

[YmirGF]

America saw space as a frontier to be explored. It made perfect sense to go back then. We needed to see for ourselves.

And kids like me sat there in our pajama's in rapt awe watching the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions...
It fired the imaginations of millions of people...

Oddly, I never thought, "Wow, those Americans!" I thought, "Wow, we are doing this!"

You folks did it for the world and we all benefited from your daring and ingenuity.

 

[freethinker44]

Why? To show Russia how cool we are.

Gains? The technological revolution. You're welcome for that btw.

 

[esmith]

Why? To show Russia how cool we are.

Gains? The technological revolution. You're welcome for that btw.

Obviously you did not grow up during the 40's and 50's and into the early 60's. That period of time, if you study history, was a major conflict called the "Cold War". The world came very close to nuclear obliteration during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The period of time following the end of WWII to almost the present day was basically a "war" to determine what country had the technology and willpower to win. The Soviets gained considerable bragging rights when Sputnik was launched, by the US going to the moon proved that we were better technology wise than the USSR.

 

[Desert Snake]

Anyways, voted 'other', the astronauts may not even know why we went to the moon.

 

[YmirGF]

Anyways, voted 'other', the astronauts may not even know why we went to the moon.

 

[Desert Snake]

ditto.

 

[Ouroboros]

Loved that movie!

It was a great movie!

 

[jidex]

I chose other.
The Apollo missions certainly gave prestige to the astronauts (who must be almost all dead, by now)...but they were useless from an economic point of view.
besides the missions were more than one: evidence that they had so much money to waste.
Usa is very masculine. Competitive and ready to win at any cost

There was a technology gain from the trip

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Anyways, voted 'other', the astronauts may not even know why we went to the moon.

Why would there have to be a single reason? The Apollo program was positive in many ways; different aspects would be more or less important to different people.