1960; There is no way we would be able to get to the moon in ten years, no way. It is impossible.
I distinctly remember that at 7 years old. I sat with my grandfather in July of 1969 as we watched Neil Armstrong culminate the “impossible”, in 9 years. Point of interest to all of you glass is half full crowd; as a state Senate Page, he was there to witness the “impossible” events at Kitty Hawk in 1903.
Keep selling us short and that is all you get, sold short. We can do anything we put our minds to and making sure that everyone is a part of the effort, it will get done.
You’ve used a terrible example, since space exploration probably would have been non-existent without a massive, powerful Federal government that has no place in a free nation.