Powering Apollo: James E. Webb of NASA

New Series in NASA History

by W. Henry Lambright

From archival evidence and interviews with space agency officials, an in-depth investigation into the relationship between the performance of the American space program and NASA's organizational culture. When President Kennedy issued his well-known challenge to reach the moon and return safely before the end of the 1960s, the immediate responsibility for undertaking the task fell to 54-year-old NASA director James E. Webb. Eight years later, when the Apollo 11 spacecraft splashed down safely in the Pacific and the screens in NASA's Mission Control at Houston flashed the words "Task Accomplished," it was Webb who deserved much of the credit. In Powering Apollo , W. Henry Lambright explores Webb's leadership role in NASA's spectacular success—success that is rare in ambitious government policies and programs. A North Carolina native and Congressional staff member, Jim Webb had served in Congress, worked in the Truman administration, and risen to high office in the defense and energy industries by 1961 when Kennedy named him to head the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Examining Webb's role as both Washington insider and government program director, Lambright probes the skills and experience that equipped him to handle his enormous responsibilities. He also shows how Webb's performance reflected important changes in twentieth century public life, including the concentration of political power in Washington; expansion of the federal bureaucracy; the rise of big science; and visions of cooperation among government, industry, and higher education.

Genres: Space

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

William Henry "Harry" Lambright is a professor of Public Administration, International Affairs and Political Science at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs of Syracuse University.

Reviews

[ActionScientist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essential reading for anyone considering starting a programme to get to the Moon that involves politics and deadlines.

[Len · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more 'textbook' than casual reading, so I will of course be reviewing this as someone who chose to read it casually.

I first became aware of this book through the acknowledgements of another book on the moon race - To The Moon by Robert Stone, also recommended. To The Moon had made me curious about Webb, a man whose existence, until now, I was only aware of through the lens of the great telescope bearing his name. Having read through Powering Apollo, I can see why Stone feels indebted enough to call it out by name.

The book is jam-packed with information about both Webb and the world he inhabited. Despite its name it guides you through the man's pre-NASA career before even whispering of space. It made me impatient at times, and I will admit that the pace picked up considerably as we moved into my familiar territory, but I understand the importance of 'setting the scene' in this way. It's impossible to fully appreciate Webb's actions without understanding the experiences which shaped his view on management.

While Lambright's style is nothing remarkable, it provides facts without becoming dull and keeps a narrow focus without losing sight of the bigger picture. This is a story about Apollo, yet nearly all that might be familiar to an average reader is absent here. There's no intimate talk about the design of the Saturn V or the lunar module, nor do the astronauts themselves merit more than a few passing paragraphs now and again. Webb had never stood in the spotlight, and this book steers the same course; what we learn about here is the enormous machine which propelled those famous men and rockets into space and the near miraculous system which allowed it to do so.

For me, this book straddles the line between biography and more standard non-fiction. Webb's personal life is given as much of a fleeting glance as the rest of 'forward facing' NASA, and yet it feels as if his story has been intertwined with the agency itself. For all of his flaws (which Lambright doesn't shy away from) and any criticisms of his administrative style, there is no doubt that Apollo 11 would never have fulfilled Kennedy's audacious timeline without Webb in the background driving things forward.

While he may have failed to achieve his surprisingly (and to me, touchingly) naive dreams of creating a technological future through educational investment, Webb still left one of the most meaningful legacies in the country's history. The space race has been romanticized to hell and back at this point, which is why I think it's important to give books like this a read. The moon landing took more than men with 'the right stuff' - or rather, there were far more men with the right stuff than you've been lead to believe.

Whether the public realized it or not, all of the United States of America had been utilized to achieve NASA's goal. At the center stood Webb and his belief in the power of exemplary management. The system he devised withstood failure, fire, and even the increasing apathy of both government and society alike. These people deserve to stand on equal footing with those mythologized astronauts, and to place them where they belong is the only way to truly appreciate what a miracle had been achieved in 1969. Textbook reading or not, I recommend giving this book a little of your time. You won't regret it.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a great deal about the most important chief executive in NASA history, Jim Webb. His steady leadership helped to persuade Congress to continue supporting Apollo despite the shifting political winds of the 1960s.

[Rod Pyle]

Incredibly detailed look at James Webb, who made Apollo happen. Not a casual read,but an important one.