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  John F. Kennedy's grasp of space technology

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Author Topic:   John F. Kennedy's grasp of space technology
Lou Chinal
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Posts: 1306
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007

posted 09-24-2014 05:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lou Chinal   Click Here to Email Lou Chinal     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have often thought just exactly how much John Kennedy knew about our space program? The Russian program? ICBM guidance systems in general? Both before and after the election? And leading up to the May 25th speech?

Headshot
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Posts: 864
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 09-24-2014 05:34 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Headshot   Click Here to Email Headshot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Kennedy probably did not know much more than: Soviet boosters had more thrust than ours, their satellites were heavier than ours, that they were achieving more "firsts" than us and were getting better headlines than us.

He was not a technical person and was not terribly detail oriented, just results oriented.

Cozmosis22
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Posts: 968
From: Texas * Earth
Registered: Apr 2011

posted 09-25-2014 10:51 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Cozmosis22     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here is a position paper released by his staff during the 1960 Presidential Campaign.

Jim Behling
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Posts: 1463
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010

posted 09-25-2014 07:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim Behling   Click Here to Email Jim Behling     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Headshot:
Kennedy probably did not know much more than: Soviet boosters had more thrust than ours, their satellites were heavier than ours, that they were achieving more "firsts" than us and were getting better headlines than us.
He also knew that thrust and mass didn't mean anything since our spacecraft were more capable and we had more ICBMs and more accurate ones.

All times are CT (US)

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