In May 1961, President Kennedy announced that the United States would attempt to land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth before the end of that decade. Yet NASA did not have a specific plan for how to accomplish that goal. Over the next fourteen months, NASA vigorously debated several options. At first the consensus was to send one big rocket with several astronauts to the moon, land and explore, and then take off and return the astronauts to earth in the same vehicle. Another idea involved launching several smaller Saturn V rockets into the earth orbit, where a lander would be assembled and fueled before sending the crew to the moon. But it was a small group of engineers led by John C. Houbolt who came up with the plan that propelled human beings to the moon and back—not only safely, but faster, cheaper, and more reliably. Houbolt and his colleagues called it “lunar orbit rendezvous,” or “LOR.” At first the LOR idea was ignored, then it was criticized, and then finally dismissed by many senior NASA officials. Nevertheless, the group, under Houbolt’s leadership, continued to press the LOR idea, arguing that it was the only way to get men to the moon and back by President Kennedy’s deadline. Houbolt persisted, risking his career in the face of overwhelming opposition. This is the story of how John Houbolt convinced NASA to adopt the plan that made history.

This is the 20th Volume in the series Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and foreign associates. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and foreign associates, the Academy carries out the responsibilities for which it was established in 1964. Under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering was formed as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. Members are elected on the basis of significant contributions to engineering theory and practice and to the literature of engineering or on the basis of demonstrated unusual accomplishments in the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology. The National Academies share a responsibility to advise the federal government on matters of science and technology. The expertise and credibility that the National Academy of Engineering brings to that task stem directly from the abilities, interests, and achievements of our members and foreign associates, our colleagues and friends, whose special gifts we remember in this book.

Ein lebendiger Abriß der Theorie der Umlaufbahnen, geschrieben von einem Spezialisten, der für Computersimulationen und Systemanalysen der Saturn-V-Rakete, des Projektes Skylab und vieler anderer Projekte zuständig war. Die Diskussion umfaßt auch unkonventionelle Ansätze und Paradoxa. Schwerpunkte liegen unter anderem auf Raketenantrieben, Optimierung des Verhältnisses zwischen Nutzlast und Treibstoffverbrauch und der Wechselwirkung zwischen Raumfahrzeugen und Raumobjekten. (11/97)

With succinct text and striking graphic designs on almost every page, this book tells the exciting story of Apollo 11 and the role played by NASA engineer John C. Houbolt in landing Americans on the Moon and returning them safely to Earth. The book contains more than 40 carefully selected historic photos that capture one of mankind's greatest achievements. Although astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin have been rightfully applauded for their heroic efforts, Time magazine described John Houbolt as "Apollo's unsung hero." This book shines the spotlight of historic recognition on Houbolt and weaves his compelling story into the broader narrative of America's first manned Moon mission.