THE successful launching of the Apollo 9 spacecraft marks another milestone in the journey of man into space. The hopes and prayers of mankind go with Col. James A. McDivitt, Col. David R. Scott, and Mr. Russell Schwelckart on their courageous mission. The genius of the American scientific and technological community, which created and designed the Saturn V, the command ship, and the lunar module, once again stirs the imagination and gratitude of the world.
We are proud of this American adventure, but this is more than an American adventure. It is an adventure of man, bringing the accumulated wisdom of his past to the task of shaping the future.
The 10-day flight of Apollo 9 will, we hope, do something more than bring America closer to the moon; it can serve to bring humanity closer by dramatically showing what men can do when they bring to any task the best of man's mind and heart.
Richard Nixon, Statement Following the Successful Launching of Apollo 9. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/240864