Message to the Congress Transmitting Report "United States Aeronautics and Space Activities, 1961."

To the Congress of the United States:

In accordance with Section 206(b) of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as amended, I transmit herewith a report for the calendar year 1961, on this nation's aeronautics and space activities.

During 1961, major attention was devoted to establishing our policy objective of space leadership and to accelerating our efforts toward achieving that objective.

In my Message to the Congress on May 25, 1961, I stated that a leading role in space achievements may well hold the key to this country's future. That I reaffirm. Last year, we made necessary decisions and, with the support of the Congress, stepped up the pace of performance. Even greater strides must be made in the coming months and years, and thus the recommended budget which I submitted to the Congress earlier this month contains requests for funds for the Fiscal Year 1963 Space Program, totalling $5.5 billion, an increase of $2.4 billion over FY 1962 and $3.7 billion over FY 1961.

It is the policy of the United States that activities in space be devoted to peaceful purposes and during 1961 we made significant progress in that regard. Such progress included space projects to help keep the peace and space projects to increase man's wellbeing in peace.

In summary form, the accompanying report indicates the contributions of the various departments and agencies of the government to a national space program.

JOHN F. KENNEDY