Page "Apollo program" Paragraph 10

On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to fly in space, reinforcing American fears about being left behind in a technological competition with the Soviet Union.

At a meeting of the U. S. House Committee on Science and Astronautics one day after Gagarin's flight, many congressmen pledged their support for a crash program aimed at ensuring that America would catch up.

Kennedy, however, was circumspect in his response to the news, refusing to make a commitment on America's response to the Soviets.