[Apollo Program]

Originally from the Personal Collection of Dr. George E. Mueller (1918-2015).

A MASSIVE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE APOLLO PROGRAM, COMPILED FOR "THE MAN WHO PUT MEN ON THE MOON."

The over one thousand photographs, including many NASA "red number" examples, compiled across twelve volumes offer a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most celebrated achievements in human history.

Hailed as “The Man who put Men on the Moon” and the “Father of the Manned Spacecraft Program,” Dr. George Mueller played a pivotal role at NASA from 1963-1969. He was originally sworn in as Deputy Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight on September 1, 1963, but his title quickly changed to Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight after an internal reorganization and he remained in that role until he left NASA in December 1969. Several photographs in this lot capture key moments in Mueller's career, from his official swearing in to his visits to global tracking stations and shots of his work in Mission Control. Mueller led the Office of Manned Spaceflight at NASA Headquarters, what is now the Human Operations and Exploration Mission Directorate. In this role, he shaped all operations leading to the fulfillment of President Kennedy’s ambitious goal of a lunar landing by the end of the decade. Renowned pioneer of spaceflight Dr. Werner Von Braun commented, “Without George Mueller, we would not have landed on the moon as soon as we did.” Mueller set and managed the schedule for the entire program and ensured that the costs of landing men on the Moon, when accounting for inflation, were exactly the same as projected at the outset of the program six years before.

A former professor before his tenure as deputy administrator, Mueller did not believe in asking others to execute tasks he would not be willing to do himself. Before the first extravehicular activities (EVAs) took place in space by Gemini astronauts, Mueller himself flew in a KC-135 zero gravity aircraft in a pressurized space suit, personally verifying that he could get into and out of the space craft in zero gravity. There are several photographs of Mueller suited up in NASA's early water testing from this period, as well as images of other key players in the race to put Americans on the Moon.

In addition to beautiful "red number" photographs known to collectors, such as the iconic Apollo 8 Earthrise, this lot features hundred of photos of vehicle testing, launches, and crew recoveries.