We often imagine spaceflight as a straight line, but history is actually a...

https://nova-wiki.win/index.php/The_Monolith_or_the_Lego_Set%3F_How_We_Actually_Decide_Ship_Architecture

We often imagine spaceflight as a straight line, but history is actually a series of heated arguments. In 1962, lead engineers stalled on the core engine choice: nuclear versus chemical versus electric. It wasn't just physics; it was ego and funding