Apollo development

ORGANISATION

On 15 January 1962 the Manned Spacecraft Center reorganised the Apollo Project Office as the Apollo Spacecraft Project Office (ASPO) and appointed Charles W. Frick as Manager, with Robert O. Piland, head of the extinct Apollo Project Office, as Deputy Manager. In recognition of the scale of the project, on 13 February 1963 Piland’s responsibility was narrowed to the LEM and James L. Decker was assigned as Deputy Manager for the CSM.

James Webb again reorganised NASA’s top management on 30 October 1962. In addition to being Director of the Office of Manned Space Flight, Brainerd Holmes became a Deputy Associate Administrator and as such took direct responsibility for the field centres primarily engaged in manned space projects (i. e. the Marshall Space Flight Center, Manned Spacecraft Center and Launch Operations Center) which had previously reported to Robert Seamans. On 20 February 1963, Holmes made George M. Low his Deputy Director for Programs and Joseph F. Shea his Deputy Director for Systems in order to increase their authority over the Directorates of the Office of Manned Space Flight. On 10 May 1963 the Manned Spacecraft Center separated development from operations – as Deputy Director for Development and Programs, James C. Elms was to manage manned space flight projects and plan, organise and direct all administrative and technical support; and as Deputy Director for Mission Requirements and Flight Operations, Walter C. Williams was to manage the writing of mission plans and rules, the training of crews, and the provision of all ground support and mission control facilities. On 9 October 1963 James Webb announced a reorganisation of headquarters to become effective on 1 November. This introduced three Associate Administrators under Robert Seamans. Thus, George Mueller, who on 1 September had replaced Holmes by taking the post of Director of the Office of Manned Space Flight, now also became the Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight with responsibility for the three field centres most directly involved in manned programs. The Goddard Space Flight Center, JPL and related facilities were assigned to the newly merged Office of Space Sciences and Applications headed by

Associate Administrator Homer Newell. Other facilities were assigned to the Office of Advanced Research and Technology under Associate Administrator Raymond L. Bisplinghoff.

On 22 October 1963 Joseph Shea was reassigned to Houston as Apollo Spacecraft Program Manager. George Low expanded his duties in the Office of Manned Space Flight to include Shea’s post. On 27 August the Manned Space Flight Management Council at headquarters had decided to create a Deputy Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight Operations so that the Director of the Office of Manned Space Flight could divest himself of this subsidiary role, and on 22 October Mueller drew Walter Williams from Houston for the job.