▁up ▁to ▁each ▁launch ▁" five - month ▁mar ath ons ". ▁He ▁o vers aw ▁construction ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁launch ▁elements ▁of ▁the ▁Apol lo ▁program ▁at ▁Kennedy ▁Space ▁Center , ▁including ▁La unch ▁Complex ▁ 3 9 , ▁the ▁Vert ical ▁Assembly ▁Building , ▁and ▁the ▁C raw ler - Trans porter , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁later ▁modified ▁for ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁operations . ▁After ▁his ▁ ▁ret irement ▁from ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁NASA ▁as ▁a ▁civil ian , ▁being ▁promoted ▁to ▁director ▁of ▁launch ▁operations ▁at ▁K SC ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 6 6 . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁Apol lo ▁ 1 1 ▁mission , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁entire ▁Apol lo ▁program ▁at ▁NASA ▁Head quarters . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁Pet r one ▁was ▁assigned ▁additional ▁respons ib ilities ▁as ▁program ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁NASA ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁and ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁joint ▁Apol lo - So y uz ▁Test ▁Project . ▁▁▁▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁Pet r one ▁served ▁for ▁one ▁year ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁non - G erman ▁administrator ▁of ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Space ▁Fl ight ▁Center , ▁after ▁W ern her ▁von ▁Braun ▁and ▁E ber hard ▁Re es . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁NASA ▁was ▁under going ▁budget ▁cut back s ,