In 1962, NASA engineers debated the merits of nuclear, chemical, and electric...

https://wiki-quicky.win/index.php/The_1962_Apollo_Fight:_Why_Your_Mars_Architecture_Plan_is_Already_Wrong

In 1962, NASA engineers debated the merits of nuclear, chemical, and electric propulsion with all the diplomatic grace of a tavern brawl. These internal memos reveal that deciding how to reach the moon wasn't just a physics problem; it was a political one