At the time, it was the height of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The Soviets also wanted to send a man to the moon. It was basically a race to see who was best. The US didn't want the Soviets to beat them to the moon. The Soviets had already won the space race twice, by launching the first satellite and having the first person in space. The US didn't want to lose the race to the moon. hope this helps
