posted 06-04-2015 12:10 AM               

NASA marks 50 years of Mission Control, plans Apollo room restoration

NASA's historic Mission Control is soon to be made even more historic.

The agency's original control room in Houston, which first went active 50 years ago Wednesday (June 3), has been dormant since 1992. A National Historic Landmark, today it is a public tour stop and features the authentic consoles used for the Apollo 11 moon landing and Apollo 13 in-flight emergency, among 40 other space missions.

Now, a restoration effort is getting underway to make sure the room is around for many generations to come.

posted 11-17-2016 06:23 PM               

Binders, maps, pencil sharpeners, logbooks, flags and plastic foam coffee cups will be placed on consoles and desks. The original configurations of keyboards, monitors and TV sets will be recreated, and buttons and lights will be activated to evoke a sense of missions in progress. Rows of cameras will be reinstalled on the ceilings. Period clothing and hats will be hung from coat racks. (Some of the low-tech equipment will most likely puzzle children unfamiliar with the workings of rotary phones, reel-to-reel tapes and pneumatic tubes that delivered data printouts.)

"We want it to look like the flight controllers have just walked away from their consoles for a bit," said Sandra J. Tetley, a historic preservation officer at the Johnson Space Center.

posted 12-04-2016 10:31 PM               

In November, Gene Kranz, a flight director during NASA's Gemini and Apollo missions, spoke to a group of preservationists touring the room.

At 83, Kranz remains instantly recognizable: In the 1995 film "Apollo 13," actor Ed Harris captured his furrowed brow, flat-top haircut and Air Force efficiency. Like all NASA people, Kranz usually refers to the room by its acronym, MOCR2 - pronounced "Mo-ker Two."

"This is a place of history," he told the group. "But what I see is a tired Mission Control, worn of its heart and soul. It's time to start the battle for its restoration."

posted 12-19-2016 03:22 PM               

On a Mission: Restoring Historic Mission Control

NASA's Historic Apollo Mission Control is soon to be reborn.

The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to first land a man on the moon will take place in 2019. Its Mission Control — where NASA's flight control team planned, trained and executed decades of Gemini, Apollo and early shuttle human spaceflight missions — is in acute need of restoration.

In preparation for the anniversary, Space Center Houston is launching a campaign to raise funds that will help support a major restoration of the room, also called the Mission Operations Control Room.

The restoration will feature the authentic consoles used to monitor nine Gemini and all Apollo flights, including the flight of Apollo 11 that first landed men on the moon, the flight of Apollo 13 that famously experienced an in-flight emergency and 40 other space missions.

This important site was named in 1985 to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its historical significance and worthiness of preservation. Only through the efforts of Space Center Houston can the general public visit the control room area and experience its authenticity.

More than just a site where history was made, the Historic Mission Control is a symbol of the dedicated team that made history over and over. They did so through a process that continues to inspire generations of scientists, engineers and astronauts to tackle the technological and scientific challenges of today and tomorrow.

Space Center Houston and Haviland Digital are partnering in support of the restoration project. Due for release in spring 2017 "Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo" is an exciting documentary that brings Mission Control to life through the voices of those who sat at the consoles during the Apollo era.

A fully restored Mission Control will have an inestimable value to future educational programs that encourage young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Donor levels and information will be available in 2017.

posted 04-05-2017 10:44 AM               

Webster Gives $3.5 million to Help Restore Historic Mission Control

The Webster City Council approved a $3.5 million commitment last night as a lead gift to its longtime partner Space Center Houston to help fund the restoration of NASA's Historic Mission Control used during the Gemini, Apollo and Shuttle eras.

The restoration of the National Historic Landmark will be coordinated by NASA Johnson Space Center with funds raised by the nonprofit Manned Space Flight Education Foundation, which owns and operates Space Center Houston, the official JSC visitor center. The $5 million campaign is called "On a Mission: Restoring Historic Mission Control."

"The city of Webster, its hoteliers and hospitality partners are dedicated to sustaining and enhancing the community with the rich history, innovation and outstanding achievements in space exploration that are happening here," said Webster Mayor Donna Rogers. "This donation from our Hotel Occupancy Tax Fund is one way to provide exceptional learning opportunities that attract people from around the world."

NASA began celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo era earlier this year and it culminates in 2019 with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. The historic Mission Operations Control Room used during those missions is in acute need of restoration.

"This gift helps us preserve a significant piece of history and provides an extraordinary learning opportunity to inspire people of all ages with the wonders of space exploration," said William T. Harris, President and CEO of the Manned Space Flight Education Foundation and Space Center Houston. "We are grateful to the city of Webster for its continued support and for keeping this symbol of ingenuity and perseverance alive for generations to come."

It is the largest philanthropic gift in the history of Space Center Houston. Although it is a major achievement for the restoration efforts, another $1.5 million remains to be raised to achieve the goal. To motivate additional support, $400,000 of the city of Webster's gift is directed as a 1:1 challenge for a crowdfunding campaign to invite the public to help with the restoration and raise an additional $400,000.

Since the city of Webster was incorporated in 1958, NASA has served as a catalyst to grow the city and the region. Webster is home to more than 2,200 business – many of which are aerospace companies working on NASA's current deep space missions and the daily operations for the International Space Station. The city's global importance to space exploration will continue through this generous gift.

Donate to the "On a Mission" campaign by visiting Space Center Houston's website.

posted 04-12-2017 11:15 AM               

On a mission: Restoration to return NASA Mission Control room to Apollo glory

Over the past 50 years, NASA's Mission Control in Houston has undergone a number of upgrades, improving the technologies that support humans in space. The facility's next renovation though, is notably focused on achieving the opposite — rolling back decades of changes to return its most famous room to how it looked when the first astronauts landed on the moon.

The Mission Operations Control Room, located on the third floor of the Christopher C. Kraft, Jr. Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas, is about to get a $5 million restoration to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and serve as an inspiration for the generations of visitors who come to see it on public tours.

posted 04-25-2017 03:15 PM               

Historic NASA mission control consoles to be restored by the Cosmosphere

The NASA Mission Control consoles that were used for the first moon landings are set to be brought back to life by a Kansas museum that restored the Apollo 13 spacecraft and conserved the recovered rocket engines that launched Apollo 11.

The Cosmosphere space museum in Hutchinson, Kansas announced its selection by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to restore the consoles to how they appeared at the height of their use during the Apollo moon missions. The Cosmosphere's SpaceWorks division will re-power the consoles so that their buttons and screens can be lit again as part of a $3.5 million restoration of the historic Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) at NASA's Christopher C. Kraft, Jr. Mission Control Center.

posted 04-26-2017 02:49 AM               

"For the consoles themselves, the flight controllers felt that Apollo 15 was the apex in technology for the early manned space program. They felt it was appropriate to restore the consoles to the Apollo 15 mission," Remar said.

There just does not seem to be any other Apollo documentation preserved that has that sort of detail available.

In any case, it is a wonderful thing that MOCR-2 and the people who worked there will be recognized for the contribution this facility made to the successful Apollo program by this restoration.

posted 04-26-2017 04:47 AM               

...we want to set aside some funds for ongoing maintenance. We know that over time there will be things, from normal wear and tear, that will need to be upgraded.

We've already implemented security protocols, so now the access is very limited to the room. It used to be that anyone in that facility had access to the room because it was in a working building. That is no longer the case.

We have stanchioned off the consoles, so Level 9 tours and other VIP tours can enter the room but they are restricted as to where they can go. You can no longer sit in the seats or sit at the consoles.

posted 07-20-2017 07:24 AM               

Houston, we have a Kickstarter: Campaign launches to restore Mission Control

Forty-eight years ago, flight controllers in NASA's Houston Mission Control helped to guide Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the first ever landing on the moon.

Just moments after Armstrong radioed to Earth the "Eagle has landed," Mission Control replied. "We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. (We're breathing again.)"

Now, almost half a century later, some of those same guys are hoping you will help Mission Control raise some green.

posted 07-27-2017 08:56 PM               

"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." — Gene Kranz

Let's pause for a moment to celebrate before we continue in our efforts to preserve this international icon of space history.

posted 08-19-2017 04:05 PM               

Thanks to you, we have achieved something extraordinary. We more than doubled our initial goal of $250,000 and rocketed past the Webster Challenge matching funds to more than $500,000!

The restoration of Historic Mission Control will enable us to restore and preserve a very special place. The legacy of the Apollo program and Historic Mission Control will inspire future generations to tackle challenges we can't even envision today.
The words of Gene Kranz, spoken in the film "Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo," seem fitting at this moment:

"Somehow....when we came together we were greater than the sum of our parts... We were better than we ever expected to be; we were more successful than we expected to be."

posted 01-25-2018 10:30 PM               

NASA sends historic Apollo mission control consoles to Kansas to be restored

The historic consoles used by NASA flight controllers to manage the first missions to land astronauts on the moon are on the move.

Workers on Thursday (Jan. 25) were busy labeling and removing the iconic rows of consoles that comprised NASA's historic mission control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The green metal cabinets, with their cathode-ray tube displays, rotary dials and backlit push button panels, are being temporarily relocated to the Cosmosphere museum in Hutchinson, Kansas, where they will be restored to their Apollo-era condition and appearance.

posted 01-29-2018 12:24 PM               

I visited the Cosmosphere's SpaceWorks facility this morning as the first of the MOCR consoles arrived from Houston. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from today.

posted 03-29-2018 03:54 PM               

Last month, when the first two rows of consoles were removed, the Pneumatic Tube (P-tube) consoles were not removed as they were still connected to the piping system. A dismantling plan was submitted to the Texas State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), which recently provided its concurrence.

From the Historic Furnishings Report and Visitor Experience Plan for the Apollo Mission Control Center National Historic Landmark, developed by the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior in June of 2015:

What were the P-tube stations used for? There were nine P-tube stations for sending and receiving hardcopy prints of display screens and other critical mission documents in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR).

The P-tube system was a nineteenth century technology that used a vacuum propelled air pressure system to deliver cylindrical, 12-inch by 3-inch aluminum canisters through a central exchanger to the pneumatic tube stations at the consoles. Wall-mounted stations in the building were found in the Real Time Computer Complex and Staff Support Rooms. Average transmission time between stations was 45 seconds, although it took two minutes to send a canister from the 3rd floor MOCR down to the Flight Crew staff support room on the first floor.

Flight Controllers used the P-tube system heavily through active missions. The hardcopies that arrived via a P-tube canister were generated by the video hardcopy system. Each console user had the option to request a printout of his 945-line video display on the CRT. Pressing the hardcopy request button activated a camera that took a 35mm photograph of the video channel, automatically processed the image, and dried it within 20 seconds. The hardcopy equipment operator then sent the print into the P-tube canister for delivery to the console.

According to several retired flight controllers, "The sound of the pneumatic P-tubes coming and going" was a distinctive characteristic of the MOCR during the Apollo Program.

posted 11-09-2018 02:30 AM               

NASA's restored Mission Control consoles touch down in Houston

NASA's efforts to restore its Apollo-era Mission Control has given new meaning to "We're go, Flight!"

The call, which 50 years ago was in reference to the flight director at the head of the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR), could now also apply to the newly-refurbished consoles that returned to Houston on Wednesday (Nov. 7), by way of NASA's Super Guppy cargo aircraft. The delivery, from a restoration facility in Kansas, marked the first time that the ground control hardware had taken flight.

posted 11-09-2018 03:13 PM               

As for the electronics, according to NASA and the Cosmosphere it was not feasible to re-power them as is. By replacing the internal electronics, the screens and buttons can be re-lit. The removed vacuum tubes and other hardware are being catalogued and kept within the NASA archives. There are also "extra" consoles that are being retained in their original configuration.

The restoration was conducted at the urging and direction of the Apollo-era flight control community. They wanted the room to appear as though they had just gotten up from their seats and left the room.

posted 11-10-2018 10:49 AM               

For the consoles themselves, the flight controllers felt that Apollo 15 was the apex in technology for the early manned space program. They felt it was appropriate to restore the consoles to the Apollo 15 mission.

posted 11-11-2018 11:03 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by space1:
I am disappointed to see this project sadly taking a turn in the wrong direction.

---

Space1's assessment of the restoration is inaccurate.

This was a classic restoration and all processes and procedures were approved by the National Parks Service and state and federal preservation officers. The intent was not to turn the consoles in to multi-media platforms, rather, preserve them for generations to come. Dr. Adam Graves, PhD served as the project historian and archaeologist, further adding to the importance and historic accuracy of the project. Tremendous research was conducted to ensure that this project represented a true restoration and preservation project.

We specifically discussed restoring the Apollo era hardware, including the CRTs. NASA had concerns using 50+ year old technology in a building that still operates as an acting mission control center. There was concern over the failure of the older technology. So, it was decided and approved by National Park Service as well the state and federal preservation officers that we would use current technology that would replicate the look and appearance of the old technology. The old hardware was documented and cataloged and will be retained by NASA.

A key objective of the project was to re-animate the consoles for the visitors in an effort to bring the consoles to life. Again research was conducted to determine console functionality and which buttons the controlers would interact with at each console. As with the CRT monitors, it was determined using 50+ year old technology was not feasible, so we used modern bulbs and wiring to light the buttons.

Finally, the consoles were not repainted in an effort to preserve the wear and tear. The use of the consoles and the wear and tear are part of the consoles history and MOCR story. This was an important decision in the project. Consoles were cleaned using approved cleaning methods and procedures and a preventative coating was applied. Again, consoles were not repainted and worn areas were not air-brushed. All worn areas were preserved.

In my opinion this project was a classic restoration and preservation. Great steps were taken to ensure historic integrity and accuracy. There were numerous channels of review with checks and balances in place to ensure there was no deviation from restoration and preservation standards.

I stand behind and am very proud of the work our SpaceWorks team did for this historically important project. In fact, the retired controlers that were present at the unveiling thanked the SpaceWorks team for their attention to detail and and historical accuracy. I appreciate Space1's concern and am glad to see someone so enthused by accurate restoration, but in this case, Space1's assessment is completely inaccurate.

posted 11-11-2018 03:51 PM               

I hope there are plans for exhibitry that will show the old technology, such as an original monitor, and an explanation of how images were generated. Also examples of Nixie readouts would be helpful, as they were a very distinctive feature of electronics at that time. It is important that people don't come away from the exhibit with the impression that the consoles used LCD monitors and modern numeric displays.

posted 11-12-2018 01:59 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jonnyed:
What was it about Apollo 15 that folks felt that the MOCR was at its peak during that mission?

---

To restore them to the Apollo era required research as to the earlier layout and immediately the researchers ran into a problem.

There is virtually no extant documentation that could be used as a reference – as I discovered in trying to create a representation of Sy Liebergot's EECOM panel for A13, although I eventually was able to do — up to a point as shown here.

This lack of documentation is mentioned in the National Park Service's, Historic Furnishing Report and Visitor Experience Plan (report page 26) put together by Maren Bzdek from the Public Lands History Center of the Colorado State University dated June 2015 which gives a wonderful account of the plans for the restoration and can be found here.

The original aim, I believe, was to represent the control room as it was for Apollo 11 but this became a more general representation of the MOCR at "the apex of technological achievement and function" (report page 24) because in reality, the only available document out of all the documentation put out by Philco and NASA that lists the layout of the consoles in some detail that remains is PHO-TR155 — Apollo MCC Operational Configuration — Mission J1 — Apollo 15. (I have also seen a similar document for Skylab and there is a scattering of other documentation that gives clues as to what the various panels displayed).

Even then, this document only shows the panel layouts and only lists the position and labels of the various Event Indicator panels.

There is no description of the labels, for instance, on the SMEK, DRK and Comm panels.

However, even with this huge limitation and limits to how much restoration or re-building could be achieved of technology almost 60 years old; the initial couple of photos of the restored Surgeon and Capcom panels in the hangar at Ellington show the wonderful work of the Cosmosphere.

Because of the particular research I have done on the MOCR, I have noticed in those few images of the returned consoles just a few details that are not exactly correct — such as a non Apollo PBI's on the CAPCOM Comm panel and the MSK panels are of a later design — but that is really minor stuff.

Also it appears that the digital clocks, TV channel indicators, etc. — Nixie tubes — are "fixed" representations but maybe will come "to life" when finally installed back home in the MOCR.

I will be also very curious to see what is displayed on the monitors as the glass slide "masks" that were combined with the processed downlinked digital information to produce the TV image seem to have been "lost" over the years.

posted 03-20-2019 02:15 PM               

These swivel chairs were used at each console in the Mission Operations Control Room and adjacent support areas that are part of the National Historic Landmark currently undergoing a major restoration.

A limited amount of original console chairs remain on-site. This is a call for additional late 1960s Steelcase swivel chairs featuring steel square tube framing with a polished chrome finish; four steel legs with rubber wheels; and upholstered back, seat, and armrests. Any upholstered finish is acceptable; acquired chairs will be reupholstered with appropriate fabric matching the original grey upholstery. Single chairs or collections accepted.

If you have any information regarding any available 1960s Steelcase swivel chairs, please contact Delaney Harris-Finch at 713-527-0186 or dharrisfinch@sternbucek.com.

posted 03-25-2019 05:34 PM               

The restoration work continues

The restoration of Historic Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center is on track for completion in mid-June of 2019, well ahead of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing on July 20, 2019.

As you can see from these photos, the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) is missing its defining feature: the consoles that monitored the Apollo missions. One group of consoles were restored and reanimated at Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas last year. These were returned to Ellington Airport via the Super Guppy on November 8, 2018, and are now in storage. A second group being restored and reanimated at Cosmosphere is set to return in mid-May 2019.

With the consoles out of the room, the restoration team can focus efforts on the outer shell of the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR). For example, carpet has been completely removed from all the computer floor tiles and damaged tiles are being repaired. The new carpet has been received and is being stored until time for installation. The team is also focusing on electrical work and lighting, repairing damaged sheetrock, and preparing the walls for wallpaper.

The Visitors Viewing Room also looks vacant. As you can see in the photo above, the team has removed all seating for repair and restoration. Cushions inside the seats are being replaced, but the seating fabric itself requires nothing more than a deep cleaning. After more than 60 years of service to mission control, accommodating astronaut spouses and families, high level NASA officials and political dignitaries observing Apollo missions from the room, the original seating fabric will continue to accommodate visitors for years to come!

The fully restored Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) will be open for tours beginning on July 1, 2019. Stay tuned for more updates and information about the anniversary celebrations!

posted 06-03-2019 07:56 PM               

The first few restored Apollo consoles were reinstalled in the Apollo Mission Control Center today (June 3). This is a huge milestone in the complete restoration of this historic landmark set to be complete by the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 next month.

posted 06-04-2019 08:49 AM               

But when another member (crash) was there on the Level 9 tour at or about the same time he was told the public would be allowed in but only around the perimeter of the room and not in amongst the consoles.