[JumpCrisscross]

> the LM was definitely not one of the easiest parts of Apollo

It had to deal with a lot of uncertainties which were unresolvable from a distance. But conceptually and developmentally it was one of the simpler elements. Certainly simpler than keeping humans alive in space or a launch vehicle programme.

Better analogy might be Gemini. One could similarly criticise Gemini (or any of the early Apollos) as being breathtakingly behind the task of landing humans on the Moon and then getting them back alive.