It’s tempting to view the moon race as a straight line, but the 1962 propulsion...
https://www.sierrabookmarking.win/in-1962-nasa-s-engineers-spent-more-time-bickering-than-building-the-big
It’s tempting to view the moon race as a straight line, but the 1962 propulsion debate was a messy tug-of-war. Engineers fought over whether to trust nuclear, chemical, or electric engines, and nobody wanted to yield