Those were the first words Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong spoke, relaying to NASA that he and fellow astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin had safely and successfully landed their spacecraft on the surface of another world.
This message was transmitted to NASA’s mission control, based in the Johnson Space Center just outside of Houston, Texas.
Mission control manages all of NASA’s spaceflight activity and served as the point of communication for astronauts through the Apollo missions and part of the Space Shuttle era. Over the years, the technology became outdated and a new mission control had to be constructed elsewhere in the building, leaving this vital spot in NASA’s history to fall into disrepair.
However, an effect was made to refurbish the original mission control in Houston to look nearly identical to the day when humans first set foot on the moon.
It was a painstaking process that took years to ensure no detail was overlooked, down to the fibers in the carpet. The project was completed and opened to the public on June 28, 2019, less than one month before the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.
A few of the ashtrays throughout mission control even have cigarette butts found while renovating the room that date back to when people were working in mission control during the Apollo missions.
The only significant difference is that it no longer smells like cigarette and cigar smoke, Tim Hall told AccuWeather. Hall was a flight controller for many space shuttle flights and served as the Chief of the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Operations Branch when the renovations were completed.
One element of the impressive recreation that stands out fs the bouquet of roses on display near the front of the room.
The restoration of this National Historic Landmark could not have been completed without help from the community and people around the world interested in preserving the facility for generations to come.
Additionally, a Kickstarter campaign raised over $500,000, more than doubling the original goal.
This newly renovated historic site is open to the public for folks traveling to Houston to visit the NASA facilities.
In addition to holding a special place in the history of NASA, mission control is unlike any other place in the world.
“As far as we can tell, we’re the only place like this where we have a National Historic Landmark inside an operational facility,” Hall said.
Produced in association with AccuWeather
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