In 1962, NASA experts debated reaching the moon. Some wanted big rockets, but...

https://zaneznae304.lucialpiazzale.com/the-engineering-blame-game-why-we-scapegoat-docking-for-our-own-bloat

In 1962, NASA experts debated reaching the moon. Some wanted big rockets, but the docking team won by betting on a complex path. It was a choice of which engineering headache to manage, not raw genius. Those rejected plans explain our success.