A Nation Goes to /R&(/Is

Home , David Scott, Ed White (astronaut)

With the 1970 lunar touchdown already in its sights, NASA's Office of Manned Space Flight seeks to make the United States pre-eminent in space.

A Nation Goes to /r&(/iS

".Note/ is the kime to take longer strides-time for a peat new American enterprise-tirrle,fir this nation to take a clearly leading role in space achieuernent a~hichin many zoaj)s may hold the key to our,future on earth. I belieup thal this nation should comrnit itself to achieving the goal, befire lhis decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth. . . . It will not be one man going to the moon . . . it will be an entire nation." -President John F. Kennedy

ive years ago the United States the men and machines that will make took its first tiny steps toward it possible to undertake a wide range F the moon when Commander of space missions beyond the initial Alan Shepard became the first Ameri- moon touchdown. Indeed, as Dr. can to be rocketed into space. And George Mueller comments, "manned the entire nation-indeed the whole lunar flight serves as the focal-point world-witnessed his flight, sharing of a program whose principal goal is in the tension and the triumph. To- to give the United States world lead- day, at the halfway point in the ten- ership in all elements of space activ- year program to land a man on the ity. The Gemini and Apollo-Saturn moon and return him to earth safely, programs are equipping this nation the United States manned space pro- with the ability to carry men and in- gram has both lengthened and quick- struments into hitherto inaccessible ened its stride. And the distance from regions of space for hitherto unachiev- the earth to the moon doesn't seem able periods of time." quite that far anymore. I In developing the elements and I Dr. George E. Mueller capabilities for this decade's manned Associate Administrator lunar landing, NASA has marshalled Office of Manned Space Flight

Dr. Mueller, Associate Adminis- every part of the country. Dr. Mueller first Americans into space and laid a trator for NASA's Office of Manned directs this competent crew by means solid foundation for the technology of Space Flight, bases his appraisal on of a geographically dispersed program future manned space flights. It dem- the remarkable progress that has been office structure which penetrates di- onstrated the effects of space on man, made in the tri-lateral manned flight rectly through the functional organi- and proved that men could increase program-Projects Mercury, Gemini zations of the field centers and the the reliability of spacecraft controls. and Apollo. Together the three con- prime contractors, to the subcon- NASA logged its first manned space stitute the greatest single engineering tractors and the vendors. It has been flight success on May 5,1961, the day enterprise in this nation's history. The said that Dr. Mueller's techniques of Astronaut Shepard rode his Freedom manned space flight program is car- managing so vast a research and de- 7 space capsule on a 19-minute sub- ried out by some 300,000 men and velopment program may, in the long orbital mission, 1 16 miles high into women. They work in NASA'sWash- run, prove to be one of the most valua- space. Another Mercury milestone ington, D.C. office, at three field cen- ble assets derived from the program. was achieved the following February. ters-the John F. Kennedy Space The first phase of the tri-lateral Astronaut John Glenn became the Center in Florida; the Manned Space- manned space flight program, Project first American in orbit, completing craft Center near Houston, Texas, and Mercury, set the stage for the sophis- three global circuits. The following the George C. Marshall Space Flight ticated space maneuvers of today and spring Gordon Cooper completed a Center at Huntsville, Alabama-and tomorrow. Using experimental one- 22-orbit mission of 34 and one-half at some 20,000 industrial plants in man vehicles, Project Mercury put the hours, triumphantly ringing down the curtain on Project Mercury. Dr. Mueller was a witness to, rather than a participant in, NASA'smanned flight program at the time of the Mercury space spectaculars, although he was deeply involved in other aspects of aerospace technology. During the five years before he joined NASA in 1963, he was associated with Space Technology Laboratories, Inc., serv- ing successively as director of the electronics labs, program director of the "Able" space program, vice president of space systems management, and finally vice president for research and development. In this last posi- tion, he had overall responsibility for the technical operations of the com- pany. While at STL, Dr. Mueller headed the design, development and testing efforts of the systems and com- ponents for Atlas, Titan, Minuteman and Thor ballistic missiles. He also played a major role in the development of Pioneer I, the United States' first successful space probe, and had overall responsibility for several other space projects, including Explorer VI and Pioneer v, and for the establish- ment of the Air Force satellite track- Gemini Twin Ed White maneuvers 120 miles above the Pacific Ocean, connected to Gemini ing network. 4 spacecraft by an umbilical cord. Extravehicular activity, operational term for walking in space, is a basic technique required for manned space flight capability. Mercury's Dividends Dr. Mueller adds thisfootnote to the story on the path to the moon, and forged ments of the Gemini program and the of Project Mercury which had jut con- ahead with the second phase, Project early successes of Apollo-Saturn- cluded when he became Associate Adminis- Gemini. achievements which can only be de- trator for the Ofice of Manned Space Flight: Named for the twin-star constella- scribed as spectacular in light of the "Originally, NASA assigned only two broad tion of Castor and Pollux, Project stepped-up pace of the United States mission objectives to Project Mercury-jrst, Gemini called for a two-man space- manned space flight schedule. In the to investigate man's ability to survive and craft system to conduct orbital flights spring of 1964 the first unmanned test perform in the space environment; and sec- around the earth for up to two weeks' flight of the Gemini-Titan 11 space ond, to develop the basic space technology duration. Twelve flights were sched- vehicle was flown. By spring of this and hardware for manned space JEight pro- uled for the Gemini series-ten of year Gemini astronauts had logged grams to come. But the dividends Mercuy them manned. One of NASA'sprime more than 1,300 man-hours in space, paid went beyond those basic goals. Thty objectives was to determine man's and traveled some 11 million miles- include the development of a NASA manage- performance and behavior during that's almost fifty times the distance ment system to carry forward more advanced prolonged orbital flights, including from the earth to the moon. manned spacejight ventures; exploration of his ability to pilot and control his Other mission objectives have been the fundamentals of spacecra) re-enty; spacecraft. Other mission objectives fulfilled. Last year, during the third raising a family of launch vehicles from ex- were orbital rendezvous; docking or revolution of an extended earth orbital isting rockets that led to new booster designs; joining two spacecraft, and maneuver- flight, Gemini 4 Astronauts James expansion of the aerospace industry through ing the joined spacecraft as one unit; McDivitt and Ed White carried out NASA contracts; setting up an earth- astronaut activity outside an orbiting the first extravehicular activity in the girdling tracking system, and training a spaceship, and a series of scientific ex- manned space flight program. White cadre of astronauts for future space explora- periments. left the spacecraft to walk in space, tion programs." Dr. Mueller and his capable becoming a human satellite orbiting Small wonder, then, that NASA was manned space flight crew are justifi- the earth at an altitude of 120 miles. encouraged by this successful first step ably proud of the stand-out achieve- Command pilot McDivitt remained Mueller, is that in every case, the men re- turned in excellent physical and mental health. From the medical point of view the jights show that well-trained men can live and work in space for extended periods of Itime, and the condition of weightlessness does not appear to cause any serious after- efects. 7he astronauts' state of health is measured continuously, bbefoejight, during jight and after their return. The overall appraisal of NASA'smedical team is that jights lasting a month or more are feasible. Talented Management Another noteworthy aspect of the Gemini program is the talented management Dr. Mueller gives it. A little

more than a year ago, the program- - was behind sdhedule, and there was .. ... - "rave concern about the possibility of cost overruns. "We instituted a new kind of contract administration," Dr. Mueller remarked, "one in which the profit of the Gemini program contractors is ,tied to their total perform-

Astronaut David Scott's camera captures orbiting Agena target docking vehicle as Gemini trol. I think the operation of these 8 spacecraft hovers about 190 feet away. Michael Collins and John Young maneuvered contracts has constituted one of the near this same rocket during the Gemini 10 mission in July. finest examples of the proper working of the free enterprise system." at the controls with the difficult task trol equipment." Docking in space The manned space flight program of keeping the spacecraft in a stable was added to the plus side of the mis- has a valuable asset in the person of attitude so that White would have a sion objective ledger in March of this George Mueller (pronounced Miller). constant and dependable point of ref- year after Astronauts Neil Armstrong The "Show Me" state native received erence to gauge his movements out- and David Scott docked their Gemini a bachelor's degree in electrical en- side the capsule. 8 spacecraft with an unmanned Agena gineering from the Missouri School of Orbital rendezvous was another target vehicle. Mines, then moved to Indiana to earn mission objective. Dr. Mueller recalled Among the most remarkable a master's in the same discipline at the events which led to its achieve- Gemini space successes was the Gemini Purdue University. He came east to ment: "Within hours after Tom Love11 10 flight in late July. During that the Bell Telephone Laboratories and Ed Borman took off on their two- record-setting three days, astronauts where he conducted television and week Gemini 7 flight, preparations Michael Collins and John Young microwave and measuring experi- began for launching their rendezvous chased and linked up with a fuel sup- ments, and pioneered in the measure- ship. Gemini 6 lifted off eleven days ply Agena rocket and spent nearly 39 ment of radio energy from the sun, in later, with Wally Schirra and Tom hours linked with the other statellite; microwave propogation, and in the Stafford aboard. For five hours fired the rocket engine of the captured design- of low field electrons. After a Schirra and Stafford carried out a Agena for the first manned launching stint of graduate study at Princeton complicated series of maneuvers. at orbital altitudes; soared to an orbit University, George Mueller joined the Then, 185 miles above the Pacific, of nearly 475 miles-deeper into faculty of Ohio State University as they rendezvoused with Gemini 7. space than man has ever gone; opened assistant professor of electrical engi- Despite their speeds of 17,000 mile the hatch of their capsule to the space neering; later he bacame a full pro- an hour, Schirra was able to guide his environment three times; maneuvered fessor. At Ohio State, he conducted spacecraft to within one foot of the near the orbiting Agena 8 rocket and research on the study and design of other. I might add that he was aided retrieved a package from it, and ac- broadcast and dielectric antennas, by some very fine guidance and con- complished a 25-minute space walk. cathode emission, low field magne- trons and traveling wave tubes, and was awarded a PH.D in physics. The next stop was Redondo Beach, Cali- fornia and the Space Technology Laboratories where Dr. Mueller spent the next five years before he assumed direction of NASA'smanned space flight program. Dr. Mueller was one of the origina- Lurs of the concept and design of the Telebit digital telemetry system. He holds seven patents in electrical engineering, and is the author of more than 20 technical papers. With E. R. Spangler, he is co-author of a book, "Communication Satellites." Dr. Mueller is an active participant in national and international conferences on space communications and space technology. Successful Stepping Stones The Mercury and Gemznz space successes are the steppzng stones to the Apollo moon landzng mzssions and to other space opera- tzons of the future. The Ofice of Manned Space Flzght zs movzng ahead wzth Gemznz and expects to accomplzsh all the remaznzng program obyctzves zn the addztzonalJzghts scheduled over the remaznzng months of thzs year. Szmultaneously, remarkable progress zs also bezng made zn the Apollo program, the largest research and development program the Unzted States has ever under- taken. Project Apollo calls for NASA to develop two major launch vehicles and a three-man spacecraft; to assemble a nation-wide government-industry team; to construct a complex of advanced launch facilities, and to carry on a comprehensive testing program . . . all on a coordinated schedule. Under George Mueller's direction, they're doing just that. America's moon men will make the half-million-mile round trip in the three-man Apollo spacecraft now under development at NASA'sManned Spacecraft Center (MSC)near Houston, Texas, where a cattle range was con- verted to a modern installation in less than three years. Dr. Robert Rowe Gilruth directs MSC,an organization responsible for the design, develop- Uprated Saturn I on Cape Kennedy launch pad just before it successfully boosted un- ment and testing of manned space- manned Apollo spacecraft into a 300-mile high suborbital flight. The February 26, 1966 flight marked the first test in space of the Apollo command and service module, the CKIH craft and associated systems, for the which will house America's moon explorers. selection and training of astronauts,

30 for support.of manned flight opera- platform" for the upper stage which the development and operation of tions and for managing the work of houses the astronauts. Attached to the large launch vehicles. In unmanned the industrial team which shares the upper stage is the rocket engine which test flights Saturn I has placed test work load. America's lunar explorers will ignite versions of the command and service when they are ready to rejoin the modules of the Apollo spacecraft into The MSC Giant hovering command-service module. orbit. With its cluster of eight rocket Probably the biggest thing at MSG After the astronauts crawl back into engines burning refined kerosene and these days is the Apollo spacecraft. the command module, the lunar liquid oxygen, Saturn I develops 1.5 Weighing in at 45 tons and standing module is jettisoned and the trio heads million pounds of thrust in its first 84 feet tall, the spacecraft is divided back to earth. Just before re-entry, stage. Its second stage has six engines into three sections-a command mod- the service module is also detached. which burn liquid hydrogen and liq- ule, a service module and a lunar Parachutes are deployed to slow down uid oxygen, producing 90,000 pounds module. The command module, the re-entry forces just before splash- total thrust. something like the crew compartment down. Also under development at MSFC is of a commercial jet airliner, is de- The Manned Spacecraft Center is the uprated Saturn I with an improved signed so that the astronauts can eat, an outstanding example of the ad- first stage version of the Saturn I, and sleep and work and relax in a shirt vanced facilities, unique in both size a new and more powerful second sleeve environment. It is furnished and capability, which NASA has con- stage. With 1.6 million pounds booster with life support equipment and is structed to meet Apollo program thrust, and 200,000 pounds second chock full of controls and instruments objectives. MSC is the home of the stage thrust, the uprated Saturn I will to enable the astronauts to maneuver Mission Control Center-an office/ boost Astronauts Virgil Grissom, Ed their craft. Since the command mod- laboratory combination where engi- White and Roger Chaffee into earth ule will return to earth, it is con- neers, scientists and technicians team orbit for a long duration mission of structed to withstand the tremendous up with computers to direct operations up to two weeks. deceleration forces and intense heat- of manned space flights. Support func- Saturn V Moon Rocket ing caused by re-entry. It's a room tions at the Center include recovery with a view. The double-walled pres- control, recovery communications, Big Daddy in the Texas-size booster surized chamber has three windows meteorology and trajectory data, net- corral is the Saturn v, a vehicle of in front of the astronauts' couch, and work support and monitoring devices gigantic size and power. The Saturn v two more windows on the side. A for life support and vehicle systems. moon rocket tops the 250-foot high tower-like launch escape system MSC is also the site of the country's Statue of Liberty by 31 feet. Assem- perches atop the command module largest "man-rated" space environ- bled on the launch pad with the three for use in an emergency launch situa- ment chamber. Altitudes of about 80 modules of the Apollo spacecraft on tion. It is jettisoned after the second miles can be simulated in this cham- top, the moon rocket stands 364 feet stage of the launch vehicle ignites. ber and spacecraft can be subjected tall and weighs about six million Beneath the command compart- to temperatures and solar radiation pounds. Its first stage has a diameter ment is the service module, a 128- conditions that will be experienced of 33 feet, and is powered by a cluster foot diameter cylinder weighing on a flight to the moon. of five engines packing a wallop of 7.5 about 50,000 pounds. Inside are sup- million pounds of thrust. Another mil- plies, fuel and an engine which the Muscle for Apollo lion pounds of thrust will be furnished astronauts use to maneuver their craft The muscle for the Apollo program by a cluster of five engines in the sec- into and out of lunar orbit or alter is provided by the Saturn family of ond stage. On top of the first two is their course and speed in space. heavy launch vehicles. Development the third stage which is identical to Once the Apollo spacecraft is or- of these mammoth boosters is the re- the uprated Saturn r second stage. biting around the moon, two of the sponsibility of Dr. Werner von Braun, The Saturn's first stages are built astronauts crawl through a hatch into director of NASA'sGeorge C. Marshall by NASA'sMichoud Assembly Facility the bug-like third section, the lunar Space Flight Center (MSFC)at Hunts- in New Orleans, Louisiana, and later module. "The bug" detaches from the ville, Alabama. Some 7,000 MSFC em- are floated by barge into Mississippi combined command-service module ployees are engaged in the research for rumbling static tests at NASA's and descends to the moon's surface. and development of the Saturn work- Mississippi Test Facility. The second The lunar module has its own com- horses-from conception through de- and third stages of Saturn v are built plete guidance, propulsion, computer, sign, development, fabrication and in California. At Mississippi the gi- communications and environmental assembly of the hardware, and testing. gantic stages are lifted directly from control systems. The vehicle has two Baby of the Saturn family is the the barges onto the test stands, held stages. The bottom stage contains the 120-foot tall, 2 1.5-foot diameter Sat- captive and run through full strength, rocket engine and spidery legs which urn I. It has been flight tested with a full duration "hot" firings. After test- extend for lunar landing. This unit is perfect record of ten successes in ten ing, the rocket stages are replaced on detachable and forms the "launch launches, a record without parallel in the barges and floated via a complex canal system to Cape Kennedy. trolled environment which eliminates set when the program began. And, if Other flight equipment, manufac- the hazards weather could wreak on progress continues, we will accomp- tured and tested at NASA'snation-wide rockets and time schedules. lish the manned lunar landing and facilities, are also shipped to the John After assembly, the Saturn v rocket, safe return of America's astronauts in F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC)in its mobile launch tower and mobile this decade." Florida, where an integrated govern- platform leave the VAB through a menthndustry team takes over assem- doorway 456 feet high. A monstrous But Dr. Mueller doesn't want to stop bly, checkout and launch of the tractor trundles the works to the there. He has emphasized many times that moon-bound space ships under the launch pad. The Kennedy moonport the lunar mission is just one of the many direction of Dr. Kurt Debus. KSC, the will have two Saturn v launch pads, possible misszons which can use the capa- major launch organization for manned with the capability of launching about bilities of the Apollo-Saturn program. "The and unmanned space missions, is the six vehicles a year after 1968. jrst successful manned lunar landing will focal point for the development of The pieces in this massive jigsaw just scratch the surface. Its greatest achieve- launch philosophy, procedures, tech- puzzle called manned space flight are ment will be a demonstration ofthe ability nology and facilities. So huge and so falling into place. Excellent progress to travel a quarter of a million miles from complicated are the Apollo-Saturn is being made on the development of earth, land on that heavenly body and launch vehicles that NASA had to devise the Saturn launch vehicle; hardware return safe& here. Other journeys must fol- new approaches to assembling them. is being assembled for a 1967 test low. We must use the Saturn rockets, the Thus a new generation of space flight of the Apollo lunar module, Apollo spaceship and the launch facilities facilities was born. Towering over the astronauts are being trained. . . . over and over again to gain the fullest Kennedy Space Center terrain is the At the pivotal halfway point in the return on our investment. VAB (vehicle assembly building), a program this spring, Dr. George "We can make many jlights in orbit 524-foot high plant where four Saturn Mueller, the man who manages this about the earth, about the moon or to the rockets can be assembled simultane- engineering enterprise had this to say: moon's surface. By using our capabilities ously and checked out stage by stage. "The government/industry team re- efectively and imaginatively, we will be Scheduled for completion this year, quired to carry out the manned flight able to carry out a wide variety of missions the VAB provides for assembly and program is in place and working. The of great scientiJic value and of direct bent$ checkout of the moon rockets in a con- program is on schedule, a schedule to mankind."

In Mission Operations Control Room at the Manned Spacecraft Center near Houston, Texas, personnel monitor Gemini space flight. Mission Control Center is the focal point of a global network of tracking and communications stations which provide centralized control for orbital flights.

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