During the countless, tense hours at the dawn of human space exploration, Mission Control was the heart of NASA. It’s been the backdrop for applause as the impossible was achieved, as well as tears when tragic defeat struck.
But since 1992, the rooms that bore witness to so many awe-inspiring moments at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston have fallen silent. They were used as Mission Control for the Gemini, Apollo, Apollo/Soyuz, Skylab and Space Shuttle program missions.
Mission Control includes the Mission Operations Control Room. It contains the iconic consoles, the visitors’ viewing room where family members of the astronauts could see what was happening, the simulation control room for tests and simulations to solve error messages and problems, and the “bat cave” behind the screens containing the projectors.
In 1985, the National Park Service designated the room a National Historic Landmark. It was renamed for Christopher C. Kraft Jr. in 2018 to honor the man responsible for pioneering human spaceflight control concepts.
Over the years, tours took their toll on the historic room.
Just in time for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, the Apollo Mission Control Center has been restored. The room looks just like it did during the days of the Apollo program.
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