▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁ ▁diameter ▁Nova ▁ro cket , ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁ ▁diameter ▁Sat urn ▁V . ▁Second , ▁there ▁was ▁increasing ▁technical ▁app reh ension ▁over ▁how ▁the ▁relatively ▁large ▁space craft ▁demanded ▁by ▁Earth - or bit ▁rende z vous ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁man eu ver ▁to ▁a ▁soft ▁landing ▁on ▁the ▁Moon . ▁As ▁one ▁NASA ▁engineer ▁who ▁changed ▁his ▁mind ▁explained : ▁The ▁business ▁of ▁e y eb alling ▁that ▁thing ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁Moon ▁really ▁didn ' t ▁have ▁a ▁satisf actory ▁answer . ▁The ▁best ▁thing ▁about ▁L OR ▁was ▁that ▁it ▁allowed ▁us ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁separate ▁vehicle ▁for ▁landing . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁major ▁group ▁to ▁change ▁its ▁opinion ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁L OR ▁was ▁Robert ▁Gil r uth ' s ▁Space ▁Task ▁Group , ▁which ▁was ▁still ▁located ▁at ▁Lang ley ▁but ▁was ▁soon ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁Houston ▁as ▁the ▁Mann ed ▁Space craft ▁Center . ▁The ▁second ▁to ▁come ▁over ▁was ▁the ▁Von ▁Braun ▁team ▁at ▁the ▁ ▁Marshall ▁Space ▁Fl ight ▁Center ▁in ▁Hun ts ville , ▁Alabama . ▁These ▁two ▁powerful ▁groups , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁engine ers ▁who ▁had ▁originally ▁developed ▁the ▁plan ▁at ▁Lang ley , ▁persu aded ▁key ▁officials ▁at ▁NASA ▁Head quarters , ▁not ably ▁Administr ator ▁James ▁Web b , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁holding ▁out ▁for ▁direct ▁as cent , ▁that ▁L OR ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁way ▁to ▁land ▁on ▁the ▁Moon ▁by ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁Web b ▁approved ▁L OR