Back in 1962, NASA’s path to the moon wasn't a given—it was a vicious argument....

https://blogfreely.net/weyladikle/the-great-1962-apollo-planning-brawl-when-math-met-ego

Back in 1962, NASA’s path to the moon wasn't a given—it was a vicious argument. While 18 Nobel laureates obsessed over fuel types, John Houbolt fought to prove that docking was safer than direct ascent