Yeah, getting them back off the Moon was of prime importance. If something went wrong on the trip home it would have been a bummer, but that's always a possibility. However getting off the Moon and hooking up with the orbiter was unproven, and they had minimum fuel. Now 10 had come close to landing, at a matter of fact Houston was biting their nails for fear they would land against orders and blow the orchestrated production a month or so later. So the take off leaving half the lander behind had yet to be proven.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.
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