▁astr onaut s ▁when ▁an ▁o xygen ▁tank ▁explos ion ▁disabled ▁the ▁Service ▁Module . ▁ ▁Adv oc acy ▁▁ ▁Dr . ▁John ▁Hou bol t ▁would ▁not ▁let ▁the ▁advantages ▁of ▁L OR ▁be ▁ignored . ▁As ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁L un ar ▁Mission ▁Ste ering ▁Group , ▁Hou bol t ▁had ▁been ▁studying ▁various ▁technical ▁aspects ▁of ▁space ▁rende z vous ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁and ▁was ▁convinced , ▁like ▁several ▁others ▁at ▁Lang ley ▁Research ▁Center , ▁that ▁L OR ▁was ▁not ▁only ▁the ▁most ▁feas ible ▁way ▁to ▁make ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁Moon ▁before ▁the ▁de cade ▁was ▁out , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁way . ▁He ▁had ▁reported ▁his ▁find ings ▁to ▁NASA ▁on ▁various ▁occasions ▁but ▁felt ▁strongly ▁that ▁the ▁internal ▁task ▁forces ▁( to ▁which ▁he ▁made ▁present ations ) ▁were ▁following ▁arbitr arily ▁established ▁" ground ▁rules ." ▁According ▁to ▁Hou bol t , ▁these ▁ground ▁rules ▁were ▁const ra ining ▁NASA ' s ▁thinking ▁about ▁the ▁lun ar ▁mission — and ▁causing ▁L OR ▁to ▁be ▁ruled ▁out ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁fairly ▁considered . ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁Hou bol t ▁took ▁the ▁bold ▁step ▁of ▁ski pping ▁proper ▁channels ▁and ▁writing ▁a ▁nine - page ▁private ▁letter ▁directly ▁to ▁associate ▁administrator ▁Robert ▁C . ▁Se am ans . ▁" Some what ▁as ▁a ▁voice ▁in ▁the ▁w ilder ness ," ▁Hou bol t ▁protest ed ▁L OR ' s ▁ex clusion . ▁" Do ▁we ▁want