Man on the Moon - 1/7

We need to (1) take a man, (2) put him on the moon, and (3) bring him back.

This is not an attributable quote, and I am the one who put numbers in it. But this is how one of the core people involved in NASA’s Apollo mission (most likely George Low) described the job.

George Low was the Manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office. Low advocated for a clear and specific goal during a critical time in the Apollo program’s development. The way he framed it was simple and direct.

Though the exact phrasing may vary, this objective became a clear and concise summary of the Apollo program’s goal, and it played a big part in focusing the efforts of all those involved in the project.

His name is less known because George Low was a ‘groundling’ and not an astronaut. But, had it not been for Low, Time proclaimed, “there would be no Apollo 8 flight to the moon.” One can delve into Low’s mindset by reading some of his words. One of them was:

Fun is one of the main reasons for doing anything.

My professor of Software Engineering was extra-upbeat when telling us this story in class. He emphasized the impact of the simplicity of this description for such a complicated mission. His takeaway for the students was to try to spell out large and complex projects in simple terms.

Part - 2 is here.