Which best describes kennedy's contribution to the space race?
he challenged congress and nasa to send a man into space by the end of the decade.

he challenged congress and nasa to send a man to the moon by the end of the decade.

he challenged congress and nasa to put a space ship in orbit by the end of the decade.

he challenged congress and nasa to beat the russians into space by the end of the decade.

President Kennedy understood the need to restore America's confidence and intended not merely to match the Soviets, but surpass them. On May 25, 1961, he stood before Congress to deliver a special message on "urgent national needs." He asked for an additional $7 billion to $9 billion over the next five years for the space program, proclaiming that "this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth." President Kennedy settled upon this dramatic goal as a means of focusing and mobilizing the nation's lagging space efforts. Skeptics questioned the ability of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to meet the president's timetable. Within a year, however, Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom became the first two Americans to travel into space.