为了现在仰望天空、注视月球和遥远的行星的人们，我们发誓，我们不会让他们看到太空插上不友好国家的旗帜，而是看到代表自由与和平的旗帜在飘扬：我们发誓，我们不允许太空上布满大规模杀伤性武器、而应该是充满了获取知识和理解的工具。

　　Yet the vows of this Nation can only be fulfilled if we in this Nation are first, and, therefore, we intend to be first. In short, our leadership in science and industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to ourselves as well as others, all require us to make this effort, to solve these mysteries, to solve them for the good of all men, and to become the world's leading space-faring nation.

　　然而，我国的承诺只有在我国领先的情况下才能得以履行，而我们也正准备这样做。简而言之，我们在科学和工业上的领导地位，我们对于和平和安全的渴望，我们对于自身和他人的责任，所有这一切都要求我们做出努力，为了全人类的利益解决这些谜团，成为世界领先的航天国家。

　　We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own.

　　因为有新的知识可以获取、新的权力可以赢得，而我们必须赢得这些并且用于全人类进步，踏上新的航程。空间科学，就像核科学和所有技术一样，本身并没有道德可言。