Quotes from Gene Kranz

On the first flight test of any spacecraft, you're going to find surprises.

There is no such thing as good enough. You, your team, and your equipment must be the best. That is how you will win victories.

Three decades ago, in a top story of the century, Americans placed six flags on the Moon. Today we no longer try for new and bold space achievements; instead, we celebrate the anniversaries of the past.

I think everyone, once in his life, should be given a ticker-tape parade.

In particular, with my control team, I demanded the responsibilities to do all of the mission preparation, mission design, the writing of the procedures, the development of the handbooks.

I was working as a flight director on the Gemini IX mission, and it seemed almost overnight I was picking up the responsibilities for the Apollo Program.

Failiure is not an option.

I was the most emotional of the flight directors. Space really got me all honked up.

You can not operate in this room unless you believe that you are Superman, and whatever happens, you're capable of solving the problem.

Faliure is not an option.

There is no such thing as good enough. You, your team, and your equipment must be the best. That is how you will win victories.

To recognize that the greatest error is not to have tried and failed, but that in trying, we did not give it our best effort.

Apollo succeeded at critical moments like this because the bosses had no hesitation about assigning crucial tasks to one individual, trusting his judgment, and then getting out of his way.

Failure is not an option.

It isn't equipment that wins the battles; it is the quality and the determination of the people fighting for a cause in which they believe.

Spaceflight will never tolerate carelessness, incapacity, and neglect.

I mentally savored the moment of America's triumph like a fine wine.

Loading new software into new computers and using it for the first time was like playing Russian roulette. It demanded and got a lot of respect.

Tears were coursing down the faces of Kennedy's moonstruck recruits. John Kennedy had inspired us with his vision. One by one, we left work to grieve in private. The flag was at half-staff in our hearts.

if you ask enough people, you'll find someone who will disagree with the majority and give those nervous about risk a way out.

High-risk leadership beckons many, but few accept the call.

The tools we used in Mercury were primitive, but the dedication of highly trained people offset the limitations of the equipment available to us in these early days and kept the very real risks under control.

without the likes of him we would not have made it to the Moon.

From its earliest days, NASA had followed a policy of maximum, though prudent, disclosure. We had to do everything openly—and soon under intensive, live TV coverage.