Read the excerpt from a speech by President John F. Kennedy to Congress in 1961.

Excerpt from Speech by President Kennedy

First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish. We propose to accelerate the development of the appropriate lunar space craft. We propose to develop alternate liquid and solid fuel boosters, much larger than any now being developed, until certain which is superior. …. But in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon—if we make this judgment affirmatively, it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there.

What goal did Kennedy want to accomplish?

A.
send the nation to the moon

B.
spend money building a space center

C.
put an American on the moon and return him safely to Earth

D.
fund science education

The goal that Kennedy wants to accomplish in this excerpt from a speech to a Congress in 1961 is C: Put an American on the moon and return him safely to the Earth.

Explanation:

His intention is very clear at the beginning of the excerpt when he says: "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth." He believes this goal will be very important to achieve, not only for himself as a president, but also for the Nation; this man would represent the entire American Nation.