Since the Soviet Union had higher lift capacity launch vehicles, Kennedy chose, from among options presented by NASA, a challenge beyond the capacity of the existing generation of rocketry, so that the US and Soviet Union would be starting from a position of equality.
sˈɪns ðə sˈoʊviət jˈuːniən hæd hˈaɪɚ lˈɪft kəpˈæsᵻɾi lˈɑːntʃ vˈiəkəlz, kˈɛnədi tʃˈoʊz, fɹʌm ɐmˌʌŋ ˈɑːpʃənz pɹɪzˈɛntᵻd baɪ nˈæsɐ, ɐ tʃˈælɪndʒ bᵻjˌɔnd ðə kəpˈæsᵻɾi ʌvðɪ ɛɡzˈɪstɪŋ dʒˌɛnɚɹˈeɪʃən ʌv ɹˈɑːkɪtɹi, sˌoʊ ðætðə jˌuːˈɛs ænd sˈoʊviət jˈuːniən wʊd biː stˈɑːɹɾɪŋ fɹʌm ɐ pəzˈɪʃən ʌv iːkwˈɔlᵻɾi.