THE EARLY MILLER YEARS HI 



The President's Science Adviser, Jerome Wiesner, as well as some 

 members of the President's Science Advisory Committee, continued to 

 press their opposition to lunar orbit rendezvous, even after NASA had 

 announced its decision in July 1962. The opponents of lunar orbit 

 rendezvous brought their case to Teague. This prompted Teague, who 

 knew that von Braun had been one of the strongest early advocates of 

 Earth orbital rendezvous, to put the question to von Braun during the 

 March 18, 1963, committee hearings: 



Mr. Teague. Is there disagreement within NASA as far as the method of going 

 to the Moon is concerned? 



Dr. von Braun. None whatsoever. 



Mr. Teague. In Houston, we were told that the astronauts were unanimous in 

 their belief that this was quicker, cheaper, and safer. 



Dr. von Braun. We believe so too. I am aware that there have been some state- 

 ments to the effect that it was a bit surprising that Marshall, after having advocated 

 Earth orbit rendezvous, came around and recommended lunar rendezvous. 



Fact is that at first we put a great deal of work into the lunar orbit rendezvous 

 mode also, and now we are convinced that this is the fastest and safest way to go. 



Henceforth, the committee reacted negatively whenever the word 

 Nova came up. In response to critical questions as to why funds for 

 Nova advanced vehicle studies were included in the fiscal 1964 budget, 

 a red-faced Brainerd Holmes confessed: 



Nova as used here is a little misleading. * * * I think the terminology in the 

 (budget) book is a little unfortunate. 



The committee wanted to be absolutely sure that money allocated 

 for advanced research was not actually being used to revive the pro- 

 gram which the committee had helped to kill. On May 8, 1963, 

 Brainerd Holmes and his deputy, Dr. Joseph Shea, had to clarify 

 this point: 



Mr. Daddario. Nova, as used here, does not mean what we understand Nova 

 to mean a year ago? 



Mr. Holmes. That is correct 



Dr. Shea. There is a wonderful definition that comes from science about Nova. 

 I have forgotten exactlv how it goes, but I think it says: "Nova is often the brightest 

 object in the sky for a short period of time, but then it wanes." 



Mr. Fulton. This committee helped put that particular Nova program into 

 history. It went into history around this table. 



But even then, the Nova program dribbled along for another 

 year. Finally, in 1964, Edward Z. Gray, Director of Advanced Manned 

 Missions for NASA, walked into a lion's den by presenting the Manned 

 Space Flight Subcommittee a chart which mentioned another advanced 

 mission study of Nova. Representative Fulton was infuriated: 



From this chart it appears you have resurrected the Nova concept. I thought that 

 concept had met a fast death before this committee some time ago. How did it 



