John C. Houbolt

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John C. Houbolt was born in Altoona, Iowa on April 10, 1919 and spent his early years here before his family moved to Joliet, Illinois. 

Houbolt is most-widely recognized for his work on the Apollo program and his persistent advocacy of the lunar-orbit-rendezvous (LOR) approach.

On July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans ever to land on the moon, using the LOR approach Dr. Houbolt fought for.

Time magazine named Houbolt, "Apollo's Unsung Hero."

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Lunar Orbital Rendezvous

In the LOR approach, a spacecraft enters the moon's orbit before a smaller lunar lander descends to the surface of the moon. After completing the mission on the moon's surface, the lander returns to lunar orbit to rendezvous with the main spacecraft to return to Earth.

Houbolt deemed the LOR concept as (add word) so important that he risked his reputation and career by aggressively promoting the concept.

At the time many scientists thought the only way to achieve a lunar landing was to send a giant rocket. Houbolt insisted that LOR was not just one way, or the best way, but that it was the only way. 

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