THE CLOCK marked 8:45 in the morning in Houston, Texas, when Manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office George Low met Bob Gilruth. The day was August 9, 1968 - probably one of the busiest day in Low's life.
At 9: 00, Low and Gilruth met with Chris Kraft. And Low dropped the bombshell.
"Apollo 6 pogo problems have been solved”. Low referred to the second flight of the giant Saturn V rocket, which had been plagued by destructive vibrations – pogo - on April 4. “CSM-103 is a very mature spacecraft. Gentleman, we should turn Apollo 8 into a lunar orbit mission. It’s now or never."
Gilruth was highly enthusiastic. So was Kraft.
"George, the mission is technically feasible from ground control and spacecraft computer standpoint. I'm with you." The three men started to pull strings across NASA and the United States.
At 9:30 a.m. Low, Gilruth and Kraft met astronauts boss Donald “Deke” Slayton, and they unanimously decided to seek support from Wernher von Braun and Apollo Program Director Samuel Phillips. Gilruth called von Braun and, after briefly outlining the plan, asked if they could meet in Huntsville, Alabama, that afternoon. Low called Phillips, who was at the Kennedy Spaceflight Center, Florida, and asked whether he and KSC Director Kurt Debus could participate.
The meeting was set up for 2:30.
Five hours later, Low entered Marshall Spaceflight Center auditorium. Key people in the Apollo program were all there. They were Werner Von Braun, Eberhard Rees, Lee James, Ludie Richard, Phillips and George Hage, Kurt Debus and Rocco Petrone, Gilruth, Kraft, Slayton - for seven years these men had devoted their lives to Kennedy great endeavour, landing a man on the Moon before the decade was out.
"Yes, we can fly a lunar orbit mission in six months. The hardware is ready. This is technically feasible if Apollo 7 proves successful. If not, well, Apollo 8 will simply orbit Earth as planned. Chris ?"
"I'm with George. Let me insist on the fact that we have to orbit the moon, not simply flyby it. This way we strengthen the case for a lunar Apollo 8; the crew will snap pictures of future landing sites for a day. Sam, a word about Kennedy Space Center ?"
"I'm go. I can't see any obstacle to launch before December 1"
Neither Marshall engineers found any difficulties. Gi:ruth just said " I'm go, to. We only need to look at the differences between spacecraft 103 and 106 and find a substitute for the LM."
"Okay, thank you all. We are technically go. Now we need to convince top management. You know that Mueller and Webb attend the UNISPACE conference in Vienna. I suggest we meet in Washington next week - August 14. This will be decision day. Sam ?"
Phillips continued "Well, if we agree this day I will then go to Vienna and discuss the plan with Mueller and Webb."
Low days was not over. He had another meeting later in the evening - to find a substitute to the lunar module and ensure North American Apollo moonship was ready.
London University College.
“I believe that the exploitation of space is limited in concept and extent by the very high cost of putting payload into orbit, and the inaccessibility of objects after they have been launched. Therefore, I would forecast that the next major thrust in space will be the development of an economical launch vehicle for shuttling between Earth and the installations, such as the orbiting space stations which will soon be operating in space […]
Essential to the continuous operation of the space station will be the capability to resupply expendables as well as to change and/or augment crews and laboratory equipment.... Our studies show that using today's hardware, the resupply cost for a year equals the original cost of the space station […]
…Therefore, there is a real requirement for an efficient earth-to-orbit transportation system-an economical space shuttle.... The shuttle ideally would be able to operate in a mode similar to that of large commercial air transports and be compatible with the environment of major airports.... The cockpit of the space shuttle would be similar to that of the large intercontinental jet aircraft, containing all instrumentation essential to complete on-board checkout.... Interestingly enough, the basic design described above for an economical space shuttle from earth to orbit could also be applied to terrestrial point-to-point transport […]
The Space Shuttle is another step toward our destiny, another hand-hold on our future. We will go where we choose-on our earth-throughout our solar system and through our galaxy-eventually to live on other worlds of our universe. Man will never be satisfied with less than that"
(George E. Mueller to the British Interplanetary Society, London, August 10 1968)
August 14
Washington
“I can’t accept your idea. Apollo 7 has yet to fly, in October. Don’t come to Vienna; I’ll meet you as soon as possible, not before August 22.” While the meeting was in progress, Mueller had called from Vienna to talk to Phillips.
“We can’t wait so long, that’s why I insist to meet you in Austria.”
“Well, you’d better keep going at lower pace until August 22. What does Paine think about your project ?”
“Well, not too long before we were making a decision whether to man the third Saturn V, and now we are proposing a bold mission. Gentlemen, I need your opinion” Paine asked for comments by those around the table. Von Braun shot first.
“Once you decide to man Saturn V it does not matter how far you go. It’s our only chance to get to the moon before the end of 1969. I have no technical reservations. Our lunar capability will be enhanced by flying this mission; although this may not be the only way to meet our goal, it enhances our possibility. There is always risk, but this is in path of less risk. In fact, the minimum risk of all Apollo plans. Assuming Apollo 7 is a success there is no other choice.”
“I like this open-minded behaviour.” Paine continued. ”You are not prisoners of previous plans; I personally feel sending Apollo 8 into lunar orbit is the right thing to do. Sam ?”
“Ok, I won’t go to Vienna. I’ll meet Mueller next week; but time is critical, so I‘ll try to convince him by phone before that. Now we have to convince James Webb. Apollo 7 will be crucial.”
August 18
For the first time in ten days Low relaxed in his office. He really need holidays...and had interrupted the said holidays to push the Apollo 8 decision !
Doesn’t matter, the decision had been made. The last three days had been exhausting; he could see how Sam Philips face was marked.
On August 15 Phillips and Paine had phoned to Vienna to discuss the plan with Webb. Webb wanted to think about it, and requested further information by diplomatic carrier. He had been shocked and fairly negative. So Paine and Philips had sent Webb a lengthy discourse on why the mission should be changed.
“He will change his mind with a successful Apollo 7 mission.” Philips told Low. “By the way, Mueller sidded with us. He now agree the plan, with reserve. No full announcement will be made until after the Apollo 7 flight; then, it will be announced that Saturn V number three will be manned and possible missions are being studied. An internal document will be prepared for a planned lunar orbit for December. “
