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Author
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Topic: John Houbolt, urged LOR for Apollo (1919-2014)
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49844
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-17-2014 09:03 AM
   
collectSPACE John Houbolt, NASA engineer who fought for Apollo moon landing method, diesWere it not for John Houbolt, the United States might never have landed men on the moon. The engineer, who died on Tuesday (April 15) at the age of 95, successfully sold the country's space program leaders on an alternate flight plan, Lunar Orbit Rendezvous (LOR), which ultimately led to the six Apollo moon landings of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Houbolt's death was confirmed by a spokesman for NASA on Thursday. Before Houbolt began championing LOR as the way to go to the moon, NASA's rocket scientists, including Wernher von Braun, envisioned lunar missions of a type now more often associated with early science fiction. In the original plan, a large rocket would fly directly from the Earth to the moon, landing on its tail and blasting off the lunar surface for a direct return to Earth. "They were going to send a vehicle the size of [a 100-foot (30 meter)] Atlas [rocket] to the moon with absolutely zero help and land it backwards," Houbolt described in a 2008 interview with NASA. "I said, 'It cannot be done.'"  A moment of silence can be signified by a reply with no words and only a period. |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 2097
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 04-17-2014 09:08 AM
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David Carey
Member Posts: 978
From:
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 04-17-2014 09:13 AM
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Michael Davis
Member Posts: 557
From: Houston, Texas
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 04-17-2014 09:21 AM
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cspg
Member Posts: 6333
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 04-17-2014 09:36 AM
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Lasv3
Member Posts: 459
From: Bratislava, Slovakia
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted 04-17-2014 09:44 AM
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nasamad
Member Posts: 2183
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 04-17-2014 09:44 AM
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carl walker
Member Posts: 407
From: Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 04-17-2014 09:46 AM
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capoetc
Member Posts: 2324
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 04-17-2014 09:46 AM
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fredtrav
Member Posts: 1799
From: Birmingham AL
Registered: Aug 2010
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posted 04-17-2014 09:47 AM
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YankeeClipper
Member Posts: 632
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2011
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posted 04-17-2014 09:56 AM
The United States and the world owes a huge debt of gratitude to John Houbolt and his vision and tenacity.Houbolt is one of those people, according to Buzz Aldrin, whose efforts and achievements in Apollo deserve far more recognition. Godspeed and thank you. |
sts205cdr
Member Posts: 742
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted 04-17-2014 10:21 AM
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David C
Member Posts: 1386
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 04-17-2014 10:59 AM
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randy
Member Posts: 2622
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 04-17-2014 11:19 AM
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Jeff
Member Posts: 585
From: Fayetteville, NC, USA
Registered: May 2009
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posted 04-17-2014 11:41 AM
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ringo67
Member Posts: 196
From: Seekonk, Mass., USA
Registered: May 2003
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posted 04-17-2014 11:45 AM
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Headshot
Member Posts: 1169
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 04-17-2014 12:04 PM
We have lost a real giant with the passing of John Houbolt. |
Joel Katzowitz
Member Posts: 852
From: Marietta GA USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 04-17-2014 12:09 PM
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Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4506
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 04-17-2014 12:32 PM
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Lunar rock nut
Member Posts: 916
From: Oklahoma city, Oklahoma U.S.A.
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 04-17-2014 12:38 PM
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GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2911
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 04-17-2014 12:55 PM
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Shuttle Endeavour
Member Posts: 238
From: Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Registered: Aug 2013
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posted 04-17-2014 01:04 PM
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4allmankind
Member Posts: 1087
From: Dallas
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 04-17-2014 01:04 PM
* Time to watch To The Moon again, in honor of John Houbolt. He is paid his due respect and admiration in that documentary. RIP. |
Jurg Bolli
Member Posts: 1172
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 04-17-2014 01:14 PM
.I wrote to him quite a few years back and got a very nice response. |
Grounded!
Member Posts: 530
From: Bennington, Vermont, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 04-17-2014 01:25 PM
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Lunar Module 5
Member Posts: 370
From: Wales, UK
Registered: Dec 2004
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posted 04-17-2014 01:26 PM
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mode1charlie
Member Posts: 1395
From: Honolulu, HI
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 04-17-2014 02:37 PM
An unsung hero, indeed. |
topmiler
Member Posts: 148
From: eastleigh, hampshire, UK
Registered: Jul 2012
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posted 04-17-2014 02:56 PM
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KSCartist
Member Posts: 3030
From: Titusville, FL
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 04-17-2014 03:07 PM
I can't say it any better than YankeeClipper did.Rest in Peace Dr. Houbolt and thank you for not taking no for an answer. |
dom
Member Posts: 1032
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 04-17-2014 03:09 PM
His little bit of lateral thinking made it all happen!. |
Ronpur
Member Posts: 1254
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012
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posted 04-17-2014 03:34 PM
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Kite
Member Posts: 1070
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 04-17-2014 03:43 PM
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Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3549
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 04-17-2014 03:54 PM
"Somewhat as a voice in the wilderness..." Thus began a letter from John Houbolt to NASA's Dr Robert Seamans on 15th November, 1961. But by dint of his tenacity and determination to champion the idea of Lunar Orbit Rendezvous he emerged from the wilderness and on 20th July 1969, as the "Eagle" settled onto the dust of the Sea of Tranquillity, Wernher von Braun turned, caught his eye, and said: "John, it worked beautifully."
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Daniel Lazecky
Member Posts: 502
From: Czech Republic-Europe
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 04-17-2014 04:17 PM
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John Cornelius Houbolt |
space1
Member Posts: 922
From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 04-17-2014 04:18 PM
Thank you, Dr. Houbolt, for having the courage to fight for what you knew was right in the face of powerful resistance. You are a true hero. History is in your debt.------------------
John Fongheiser
Historic Space Systems |
Delta7
Member Posts: 1715
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 04-17-2014 05:01 PM
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bruce
Member Posts: 928
From: Fort Mill, SC, USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 04-17-2014 05:05 PM
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wickball
Member Posts: 117
From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 04-17-2014 05:43 PM
Ditto, Yankee Clipper.. |
ejectr
Member Posts: 1952
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 04-17-2014 06:57 PM
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hlbjr
Member Posts: 548
From: Delray Beach Florida USA
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 04-17-2014 07:54 PM
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