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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.'" ![](http://www.collectspace.com/images/news-041714a-lg.jpg) 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
. 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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