Wernher von Braun

> Progress is never free, Margo. There's always a cost.
>
> Wernher von Braun, in Season 1, Episode 2, "He Built the Saturn V"

Doctor **Wernher von Braun**, full name **Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun**, was a German and American aerospace engineer. He was NASA's chief rocket engineer for the Apollo program and the designer of the Saturn rocket family, which brought American astronauts to the Moon in 1969.

Von Braun was a former rocket engineer in Nazi-GermanyW, where he engineered the V-2W rocket which killed thousands of people in London and other cities during World War IIW. During that time, he was a member of the Nazi PartyW and the Allgemeine SSW. After the war, von Braun was secretly moved to the United States as part of Operation PaperclipW, along with hundreds of other German scientists and engineers.

During a hearing led by Rep. Charles Sandman about what caused the USA to lose the Race to the Moon, formerly classified information about von Braun's past was exposed to the public, including that he must have been aware of the treatment of the slave labourers which worked on his the V-2 rocket. Following that hearing, von Braun was removed from NASA. However, the real reason to discredit von Braun was that President Nixon wanted him removed because von Braun declined the president's wish for a military base on the Moon.

## History

### Apollo program

On June 26, 1969, Wernher von Braun watches the Soviet Moon landing with Margo Madison in NASA's Mission Control. The next day, von Braun has a meeting with NASA administrator Thomas Paine, chief astronaut Deke Slayton, and CIA agent Winston Blake to discuss how this could have happened.

Later, at a press conference with Paine and Slayton, von Braun explains that the American program is much more robust ant that the will not only match, but surpass the Soviets. When asked why they didn't land on the Moon the month before with Apollo 10, Deke responded it was not on the mission plan, and von Braun supported him by saying the fuel levels on Apollo 10 were insufficient and the spacecraft weighed too much for a landing, so it was never considered.

During a simulation for Apollo 11 at the Manned Spacecraft Center, an alarm sounds. Margo Madison tells them the computer is rebooting, but they can still land. However, they do not listen to her, and decide to abort. Wernher von Braun tells her the fault is hers because she hesitated.

After Ed Baldwin had talked to *Newsweek* reporter Paul Santoro who then wrote a story about the lost Moon race, quoting Ed with *"we don't have guts at NASA anymore"*, von Braun wanted him removed from the program. However, Deke Slayton managed to only cut him for Apollo 15 only and keep him in the Apollo Applications ProjectW instead.

Before the launch of Apollo 11, von Braun met with Thomas and Deke on the launch tower of the Saturn V at Cape Kennedy where they talked about whether or not the President would call the astronauts on the Moon. While von Braun saw it as an opportunity to demonstrate the technical superiority of the US over the USSR as they would have much better audio, but Thomas quoted White House press secretary Ron ZieglerW, saying that "the president usually doesn't call the silver medalist".

During Apollo 11, von Braun was at MSC where he had a drink with Margo while the Apollo CSM was out of radio behind the Moon. He told her that her father was missing her and would heve complained that she doesn't call or write him, then they clinked glasses in anticipation of the close Moon landing and returned to Mission Control. However, only moments before landing, they lost telemetry. Von Braun mentioned, that an explosion of the spacecraft was unlikely, but that the failure of all systems simultaneously would be a sign of a catastrophic event, so most likely they crashed.

Several hours passed without contact. When Michael Collins in the command module in lunar orbit announced that he would not return alone, von Braun suggested to call his wife. While flight director Gene Kranz expressed his disagreement in doing so, suddenly Neil Armstrong's voice sounded over the radio, telling them that the *Eagle* had landed and everybody was celebrating.

Von Braun and Slayton are presented blueprints of a Soviet lunar military base by Paine who tells them that the president wants one too and he wants it first. Although von Braun does not believe they are a threat, Thomas wants him to make proposals for an American military outpost on the Moon due to instructions from the president. However, von Braun refuses, saying that NASA is a scientific program, not military. Hearing about that, President Nixon said to Henry KissingerW that he wants "that Kraut bastard gone". When Kissinger tells the president, that von Braun is a beloved figure who taught the country about space travel, Nixon replies that they would have to "be creative" then.

Talking to Margo Madison during lunch, von Braun considers retiring, but Margo does not agree. Von Braun tells her to maybe consider dating someone, but Margo reminds him she does not have time. Changing the subject, von Braun mentions an interview with Gene, and Margo mentions she had not told him because it was something she wanted to do herself.

Later, von Braun visits Margo in her office and congratulates her for becoming the first woman in Mission Control. Margo hugs him, and von Braun gives her his slide rule which he had for over 20 years. With these news, Margo moves her things to her new station in the control room. When she arrives she is greeted with a hot dog and sauerkraut, and all the men make fun of her, calling her Eva von Braun. When she sits down, a coworker tells her to not take it personal, as it was done with every new person.

### Congressional hearing

At the hearing led by congressman Sandman, which was broadcasted live on national television, von Braun mentioned NASA would be pressing forward, for more ambitious projects like journeys to Mars, Jupiter, and even deeper into the Solar System, but Sandman argued the Soviets were pushing ahead with plans of a military base on the Moon. However, von Braun believed it was time to go to other planets, as it was NASA's purpose. After Sandman told him he was being too cautious after the Apollo 1 fire, von Braun confirmed this, because unlike the Soviets, he cared about the lives of his astronauts. He quoted Neil Armstrong "we pick ourselves up and go back to work", earning the applause of everybody in the room. However, Sandman then changed the subject and retaliated that von Braun had built the German V-2 rocket, which had killed many people in London. Von Braun stated his regret that his rockets were used for killing.

At that point, congressman Ted Kennedy interrupted, stating that these new questions did not have any relevance to the subject of the hearing, but Sandman proceeded and revealed so far classified information from Operation Paperclip, saying that von Braun had also been a member of the Nazi organization known as the SSW, which von Braun mentions was something he was forced into. Sandman turned what the engineer had stated as "caring for the lives" of his astronauts against him, asking if he also cared about the people in concentration camps who had built his rockets. He proceeded to show him photos of the dead workers who had participated in the building of his rockets, but von Braun argued he had no authority and asked him to understand.

Back in Houston, von Braun told Margo that apparently the Soviets had launched another N1 right ahead of Apollo 12. She ignored him and simply asked if he had known. Von Braun answered that it was an ambush, a trap laid by Nixon and his lackeys. He stated that he needed to move his work forward, and mentioned that if he had done something, he would probably be dead and everything he had done would never had come to pass. However, Margo told him he can not state what could have been. Wernher stated that after the war, he chose the USA to give his life's work, but now he was an old man and could be replaced, so they throw him to the wolves. Margo once again asked him if he knew, and he simply stated that progress was never free, always having a cost. Margo left in silence.

On the day of the Apollo 12 launch, von Braun left the building, while his portrait was already taken down from the wall in the entrance.

### Post NASA

In fall 1974, Margo visits von Braun by order of NASA administrator Weisner to collect a report about the explosion of the Saturn V of Apollo 23, which had killed 12 NASA ground crew, including Gene Kranz. The report was issued by the former NASA chief designer by order of the board of inquiry that wanted an outside opinion. However, von Braun insisted that Margo would come and pick it up in person. She told him that she did not know why he wanted to see her. He changed the subject, telling her that she had left her father's funeral without a word. Margo kept trying to get back on-topic, but von Braun distracted her.

While having dinner, von Braun could not believe Margo could not simply talk to him since they had known each other for Margo's entire life. Margo told him she forgave him, and to just give her the report, but von Braun told her that he wanted to tell her something her father never had, but that made no sense to Margo.

He told Margo about how he had met her father, and presented her with a suitcase, which contained something he mentioned he did not agree with. Before he started, he told Margo that her father loved her, which she did not see. However, von Braun mentioned that what he was telling her were facts that her father did not know how to tell her, but Margo did not agree since her father had been beyond "remote".

Von Braun told her that during the war, her father had worked on very secret work for the government, which involved the Manhattan ProjectW. Margo denied it, but von Braun presented her the files where it was explained that he worked on compressing a plutonium core to a critical mass through a spherical implosion, which led to the creation of the weapon that was used on NagasakiW. The bombing had a profound effect on her father, and both he and von Braun talked about the moral ramifications of the bomb, but Margo's father ended up retreating from the world and his family, and also from Margo.

Margo asks von Braun if she can keep the files, which he agrees to. She thanks him for having told her, and asks him for the report so she could go. Von Braun told her it was a long drive, so perhaps she could stay, which she refused since what they had talked about did not just wipe away everything that had happened between both of them. Von Braun reminisced with her, and told her he had pushed her when her father had wanted to but could not. Margo thanked him, but von Braun told her she was wasting her talent, not doing as well as Irene Hendricks. He asked her what she wanted to be doing in ten years and she said she would be running NASA, but von Braun told her she would not since she was not a team player. Margo defended herself, saying that she was in Mission Control, but von Braun told her that that was because he was her mentor, and Gene looked kindly upon her, but even with all her credentials, she was passed over for flight director which Wernher blamed her lack of social skills for. Margo once again asks him for the report, and von Braun gave it to her.

He then told her she had the key to her success in her hands, and told her to evaluate why that valve on the Apollo 23 second stage had failed. He told her when he reviewed the supply chain for the Saturn V, he found out the LH2 valve was manufactured by Kirkland Aerospace, while he had given it to another company in the 60s, which means NASA had changed the contractors in early 1973, asking her what could have been the reason for that change. Margo was going to read the report, but von Braun told her it was not necessary. The change in contract was made so that that state's governor would be re-elected, and in return would back the new administration's Equal Rights Amendment. Margo sat down, and wondered if Gene had only died for a political vote, but von Braun reminded her that eleven other men had also died. She mentioned the report would cause a fire in NASA, congress and the White House if it was made public, but von Braun told her that this would not happen as it holds potential to do great harm to the president, so Weisner would bury the report. The only thing left to ask would be, who would benefit from that situation since every bureaucracy was corrupt.

## Behind the scenes

Von Braun is one of various real-world figures to be depicted onscreen in *For All Mankind*. In the real world, von Braun was never terminated from NASA and continued working for the agency until he retired in 1972, due to health problems. During his lifetime, he was never publicly exposed for his war crimes, though some of his colleagues (such as Arthur RudolphW) were.

## Gallery

### Images

Von Braun with John F. KennedyVon Braun with KennedyVon Braun explaining Moon landing on TVMargo & von Braun watching the Soviet Moon landingPaine, Slayton, & von Braun at the Apollo 11's Saturn VVon Braun during Apollo 11Deke Slayton & Wernher von BraunLunch with MargoVon Braun at the hearingThe hearing on televisionVon Braun after the hearingMeeting Margo after the hearingVon Braun in a newspaperVon Braun leaves NASA
### Video

Tom Lehrer - Wernher von BraunTom Lehrer's song about Wernher von Braun
## See also

* Margo Madison
* Race to the Moon

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 *For All Mankind* TV Series - Season 1, Episode 2: "He Built the Saturn V"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *For All Mankind* TV Series - Season 1, Episode 1: "Red Moon"
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *For All Mankind* TV Series - Season 1, Episode 6: "Home Again"