The fact that the speech was made in the context of the cold war does not invalidate my point. He expressed many points clearly, and implied many others.

Special Message to Congress, 1961

(...)but as shown by the feat of astronaut Shepard, this very risk enhances our stature when we are successful. But this is not merely a race. Space is open to us now; and our eagerness to share its meaning is not governed by the efforts of others. We go into space because whatever mankind must undertake, free men must fully share.(...)
Now it is time to take longer strides--time for a great new American enterprise--time for this nation to take a clearly leading role in space achievement, which in many ways may hold the key to our future on earth.(...) 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.(...)

JFK Address, At Rice University, 1962

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not only because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

But let us not fight about this, ok? I think you got the point [or are you saying that Americans do not appreciate challenges?]

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"As truth is gathered, I rearrange,
Inside out, outside in - Perpetual change." - A British rock band