Ethos: JFK's Moon Shot Speech to Congress

John F. Kennedy was elected in 1960 as the 35th President of the United States. He made history as the first Roman Catholic to run the country. JFK had much extrinsic ethos that helped back him in his run for presidency. From being a military hero, to being a member of Congress and the Senate, JFK won the votes and hearts of Americans. During his Moon Shot speech to Congress, his use the Soviet Union as a motivator gave credibility to his argument that space travel is possible. He solidified his intrinsic ethos by providing specific goals he has for America. His tone during the speech showed his confidence and knowledge regarding the Space Race. JFK attempted to rally the American citizens together and ask Congress for permission to continue their study into space. To do this, he needed to show Congress and the people that he himself was determined and knew that the end goal was feasible. President John F. Kennedy had a very impressive track record that made him a respectable and reliable leader.

Stasis Theory: Kennedy

President Kennedy uses all the elements of stasis theory to make his argument to Congress. In the beginning of his speech, he uses definitions to make his argument more persuasive. By defining the space race as a battle "between freedom and tyranny", he makes it much harder to object to his cause. Then, he bluntly lays out the facts that the United States is losing the race, providing his reason for speaking. Already inherent in the concept of a battle, it goes almost without saying that this is a bad thing for the country. Kennedy adds a carrot by talking of the glory that would be associated with landing on the moon. The action and jurisdiction parts of stasis theory tie together very well in this instance. JFK requests Congress to approve more funds for space programs. He also reveals his vision of a man on the moon before the end of the decade.

Audience: David Bowie "Space Oddity"

“Space Oddity” is a song written and performed by David Bowie that was released in 1969 just nine days before the Apollo 11 landed on the moon. The audience of this song includes the entire population of the western world. The wonder of space travel captured the attention of the United States. It is safe to assume that the majority of people were exposed to the importance of the Space Race, and the significance of being the first to land on the moon. 

Audience: JFK's Moon Shot Speech to Congress

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech before Congress to address the need to accelerate the U.S. space program. The primary audience for his speech was members of Congress, who were asked to consider additional funding for the space program. Pressure from NASA and competition from the advanced Russian space program heavily influenced Congress’s stance on additional funding. With success in space playing such a significant role in the U.S.’s projection of power, Congress could not allow itself to be responsible for a potential loss to Russia.

Kairos: JFK's Moon Shot Speech to Congress

President John F. Kennedy delivered his Moon Shot speech to a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961. Kairos played a role in this speech because it was during a time of great progress. Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, successfully launched into space in 1957 by the Soviet Union. This showed the world that space exploration was possible. President JFK uses Sputnik as motivation for the United States to want to achieve success in their mission. He continuously refers to the recent accomplishment of the Soviets in order to encourage Americans to want to further expand their knowledge of space. JFK believes that this is the time to ask for funds and the support from Congress because the nation has been exposed to some wonders of space and now more than ever will be intrigued.  He concludes the speech with a plea to the nation that they must work together in order to accomplish greatness in this mission.

Kairos: Space Oddity

The song "Space Oddity" by David Bowie was first released in 1969 just before the Apollo 11 moon landing. This was the culmination of the Space Race, which garnered a lot of attention from all around the world, including  in England where "Space Oddity" was originally released. It's title is a play off the movie 2001: A Space Odessey which came out in 1968, a further indication of media interest in space exploration.