President John F. Kennedy hears about the Saturn V launch system from rocket man Wernher von Braun, center, at Cape Canaveral in November 1963. At left is NASA Deputy Administrator Robert Seamans. Photo: NASA

Why NASA Will Never Put Astronauts Back on the Moon

President John F. Kennedy promised the moon in his famous 1962 speech, and NASA got a huge influx of funding to make it happen. For about five years running the space agency’s budget was in the stratosphere compared to the $21 billion earmarked for 2019—peaking at twice the current amount, accounting for inflation. Getting to the moon was not cheap. Going back won’t be, either.