NOVA; Interview with John Cornelius Houbolt, aerospace engineer behind the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous (LOR), part 1 of 4 : To the Moon
Description:
John Cornelius Houbolt, aerospace engineer behind the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous (LOR) is interviewed about engineering the spacecraft for Apollo and the LOR. Houbolt describes his start with the Apollo program, and why the NOVA rocket had to be so large, using a chart comparing the sizes of various manned spacecraft. He also discusses the impracticality of the NOVA rocket and explains the benefits of the LOR mode as leaving the living room (the command space module) in space rather than bringing the living room all the way down to the moon with you. Houbolt also mentions his belief that a direct descent to the moon would not have worked, and explains the many problems with doing Earth Orbit Rendezvous, using a chart. Houbolt also explains how he came up with the idea for the LOR, its benefits, his minority report on the LOR, and the initial reactions to the use of LOR. The LOR was initially rejected, and Houbolt explains the benefits and drawbacks of "direct descent", and his confidence in the safety of the rendezvous. This remarkably crafted program covers the full range of participants in the Apollo project, from the scientists and engineers who promoted bold ideas about the nature of the Moon and how to get there, to the young geologists who chose the landing sites and helped train the crews, to the astronauts who actually went - not once or twice, but six times, each to a more demanding and interesting location on the Moon's surface. "To The Moon" includes unprecedented footage, rare interviews, and presents a magnificent overview of the history of man and the Moon. To the Moon aired as NOVA episode 2610 in 1999.