In 1962, the race to the moon was less of a straight line and more of a brawl....

https://www.bookmark-fuel.win/when-18-nobel-laureates-argued-over-space-policy-they-didn-t-just-offer

In 1962, the race to the moon was less of a straight line and more of a brawl. While the public cheered for Saturn V, internal memos show engineers clashing over nuclear, electric, and chemical propulsion