The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; ) is an independent agency
A regulatory agency or regulatory authority, is a Public benefit corporation
Public-benefit corporation is a term that has different meanings in differen ...

's center for
human spaceflight
Human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflight
Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly spacecraft into or through outer space, either human spaceflight, with o ...

(originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center), where human spaceflight training, research, and
flight control
A conventional Fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing aircraft flight control system consists of flight control surfaces, the respective cockpit controls, connecting linkages, and the necessary operating mechanisms to control an aircraft's direction i ...
are conducted. It was built and
lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (the Lessor (leasing), ''lessor'') for use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial o ...

d to NASA by Joseph L. Smith & Associates, Inc.
["Space" is our product](_blank)
// ''Aviation Week & Space Technology'', June 17, 1963, v. 78, no. 24, p. 127. It was renamed in honor of the late US president and Texas native,
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the ...

, by an act of the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature
A legislature is an deliberative assembly, assembly with the authority to make laws for a Polity, politi ...
on February 19, 1973.
It consists of a complex of 100 buildings constructed on in the
Clear Lake Area
Clear Lake, or the Clear Lake Area, is a region in parts of Harris
Harris may refer to:
Places Canada
* Harris, Ontario
* Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine)
* Harris, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewa ...
of
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, List of United States cities by population, fourth-most populous city in the United States, most populous city in the Southern United States, as well as th ...

, which acquired the official
nickname
A nickname (also moniker) is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character
De ...
"Space City" in 1967. The center is home to
NASA's astronaut corps, and is responsible for training astronauts from both the US and its international partners. It houses the
Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center, which has provided the
flight control
A conventional Fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing aircraft flight control system consists of flight control surfaces, the respective cockpit controls, connecting linkages, and the necessary operating mechanisms to control an aircraft's direction i ...
function for every NASA human spaceflight since
Gemini 4
Gemini 4 (officially Gemini IV) With Gemini IV, NASA changed to Roman numerals for Gemini mission designations. was the second crewed spaceflight
Human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflig ...
(including
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, ''Apóllōnos'', label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, ''Apéllōn'', ; grc, Ἀπείλων, ''Apeílōn'', label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, ''Áploun'', la, Apollō, ...

,
Skylab
Skylab was the first United States space station
A space station, also known as an orbital station or an orbital space station, is a spacecraft
File:Space Shuttle Columbia launching.jpg, 275px, The US Space Shuttle flew 135 times from ...

,
Apollo–Soyuz
Apollo–Soyuz was the first crewed international Space exploration, space mission, carried out jointly by the United States and the Soviet Union in July 1975. Millions of people around the world watched on television as a United States Apollo ...
, and
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an Earth-centered orbit near the planet, often specified as having a period
Period may refer to:
Common uses
* Era, a length or span of time
* ...
). It is popularly known by its radio call signs "Mission Control" and "Houston".
The original Manned Spacecraft Center grew out of the
Space Task Group
The Space Task Group was a working group of NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. ...
(STG) headed by
Robert R. Gilruth that was formed to coordinate the US crewed spaceflight program. The STG was based at the
Langley Research Center
The Langley Research Center (LaRC or NASA Langley), located in Hampton
Hampton may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hampton (biogeographic region), an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia
*Hampton, New South Wales
*Hampton, Queensland
*H ...

in
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population was 137,438; in 2019, it wa ...
, but reported organizationally to the
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; ) is an independent agency
A regulatory agency or regulatory authority, is a Public benefit corporation
Public-benefit cor ...
just outside
Washington, D.C. To meet the growing needs of the US human spaceflight program, plans began in 1961 to expand its staff to its own organization, and move it to a new facility. This was constructed in 1962 and 1963 on land donated by the
Humble Oil
Humble Oil and Refining Co. was an American List of oil exploration and production companies, oil company founded in 1911 in Humble, Texas. In 1919, a 50% interest in Humble was acquired by Standard Oil of New Jersey which acquired the rest of the ...
company through
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* "In Private
"In Private" was the third single in a row to be a charting success for United Kingdom, British singer Dusty Springfield, af ...

, and officially opened its doors in September 1963. Today, JSC is one of ten major
NASA field centers.
History

Johnson Space Center has its origins in
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; ) is an independent agency
A regulatory agency or regulatory authority, is a Public benefit corporation
Public-benefit corporation is a term that has different meanings in differen ...

's
Space Task Group
The Space Task Group was a working group of NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. ...
(STG). Starting on November 5, 1958, Langley Research Center engineers under
Robert R. Gilruth directed
Project Mercury
Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight
Human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft, the spacecraft being operated directly by the ...
and follow-on crewed space programs. The STG originally reported to the
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; ) is an independent agency
A regulatory agency or regulatory authority, is a Public benefit corporation
Public-benefit cor ...
organization, with a total staff of 45, including 37 engineers, and eight secretaries and
human "computers" (women who ran calculations on mechanical adding machines). In 1959, the center added 32 Canadian engineers put out of work by the cancellation of the
Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow
The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was a delta-winged interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing military aircraft designed prima ...
project. NASA's first administrator,
T. Keith Glennan, realized that the growth of the US space program would cause the STG to outgrow the Langley and Goddard centers and require its own location. On January 1, 1961, he wrote a memo to his yet-unnamed successor (who turned out to be
James E. Webb), recommending a new site be chosen. Later that year, when President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the ...

set the goal to put a person on the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. At about one-quarter the diameter of Earth (comparable to the width of Australia (continent), Australia), it is the largest natural satellite in the Solar System relative to the size of its plane ...

by the end of the decade, it became clear Gilruth would need a larger organization to lead the
Apollo Program
The Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, was the third United States human spaceflight program carried out by the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which succeeded in Moon landing, landing the first humans ...

, with new test facilities and research laboratories.
Site selection
In 1961, Congress held hearings and passed a $1.7 billion 1962 NASA appropriations bill which included $60 million for the new crewed spaceflight laboratory. A set of requirements for the new site was drawn up and released to the Congress and general public. These included: access to
water transport
Maritime transport (or ocean transport) and hydrolyc effluvial transport, or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers) or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by sea has been widely used througho ...

by large barges, a moderate climate, availability of all-weather commercial jet service, a well-established industrial complex with supporting technical facilities and labor, close proximity to a culturally attractive community in the vicinity of an institution of higher education, a strong electric utility and water supply, at least of land, and certain specified cost parameters. In August 1961, Webb asked Associate Director of the
Ames Research Center
The Ames Research Center (ARC), also known as NASA Ames, is a major NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government ...
John F. Parsons to head a site-selection team, which included Philip Miller, Wesley Hjornevik, and I. Edward Campagna, the construction
engineer for the STG.
The team initially came up with a list of 22 cities based on the climate and water criteria, then cut this to a short list of nine with nearby federal facilities:
* Jacksonville, Florida (
Green Cove Springs
Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County.
The city is named aft ...
Naval Air Station
A naval air station is a military air base, and consists of a permanent land-based military base, operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of a navy (Naval aviation). These bases are typically populated by Squa ...
)
* Tampa, Florida (
MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida.
The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
)
*
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge ( ; ) is the capital city
A capital or capital city is the municipality holding primary status in a Department (country subdivision), department, country, Constituent state, state, province, or other administrative region, usua ...

* Shreveport, Louisiana (
Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air
File:Atmosphere gas proportions.svg, Composition of Earth's atmosphere by volume, excluding water vapor. Lower pie re ...
)
* Houston, Texas (
San Jacinto Ordnance Depot)
* Victoria, Texas (
FAA Airport; former Foster Air Force Base)
* Corpus Christi, Texas (
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is a United States Navy
), (unofficial)."''Non sibi sed patriae''" ( en, "Not for self but for country") (unofficial).
, colors = Blue and gold
, colors_label = Colors
, march = "Anchors Aweigh"
, ...
)
* San Diego, California (
Camp Elliott
Camp Kearny was a U.S. military base (first Army, later Navy) in San Diego County, California
San Diego County, officially the County of San Diego, is a county
A county is a geographical region of a country used for administrative or oth ...
)
* San Francisco, California (
Benicia Arsenal
The Benicia Arsenal (1851–1964) and Benicia Barracks (1852–66) were part of a large military reservation located next to Suisun Bay in Benicia, California. For over 100 years, the arsenal was the primary US Army Ordnance facility for the West ...
)
Another 14 sites were then added, including two additional Houston sites chosen because of proximity to the
University of Houston
The University of Houston (U of H) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, U of H is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment ...
and
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* "In Private
"In Private" was the third single in a row to be a charting success for United Kingdom, British singer Dusty Springfield, af ...

.
[ The team visited all 23 sites between August 21 and September 7, 1961. During these visits, Massachusetts Governor ]John A. Volpe
John Anthony Volpe (; December 8, 1908November 11, 1994) was an American businessman, diplomat, and politician from Massachusetts
Massachusetts (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the N ...
and Senator Margaret Chase Smith
Margaret Madeline Chase Smith (December 14, 1897 – May 29, 1995) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties
A political party is an organization that coordinates ca ...

headed a delegation which exerted particularly strong political pressure, prompting a personal inquiry to Webb from President Kennedy. Senators and Congressmen from sites in Missouri and California similarly lobbied the selection team. Proponents of sites in Boston, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Norfolk, Virginia, went so far as to make separate presentations to Webb and the headquarters staff, so Webb added these additional sites to the final review.
Following its tour, the team identified MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa as its first choice, based on the fact the Air Force was planning to close down its Strategic Air Command operations there. The Houston Rice University site was second, and the Benicia Ordnance Depot in San Francisco was third. Before a decision could be made, however, the Air Force decided not to close MacDill, omitting it from consideration and moving the Rice University site to first place. Webb informed President Kennedy on September 14 of the decision made by him and deputy administrator Hugh Dryden
Hugh Latimer Dryden (July 2, 1898 – December 2, 1965) was an American aeronautical scientist
A scientist is a person who conducts Scientific method, scientific research to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of interest.
In cla ...
in two separate memoranda, one reviewing the criteria and procedures, and the other stating: "Our decision is that this laboratory should be located in Houston, Texas, in close association with Rice University and the other educational institutions there and in that region." The Executive Office and NASA made advance notifications of the award, and the public announcement of the location followed on September 19, 1961. According to Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public
In public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization
An organization, or organi ...
historian Henry C. Dethloff, "Although the Houston site neatly fit the criteria required for the new center, Texas undoubtedly exerted an enormous political influence on such a decision. Lyndon B. Johnson was Vice President and head of the Space Council, headed the House Appropriations Committee, and Olin E. Teague were members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics, and Teague headed the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. Finally, Sam Rayburn
Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn (January 6, 1882 – November 16, 1961) was an American politician who served as the 43rd speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He was a three-time House speaker, former House majority leader, two-time ...

was Speaker of the House of Representatives."
The land for the new facility was donated to Rice by the Humble Oil
Humble Oil and Refining Co. was an American List of oil exploration and production companies, oil company founded in 1911 in Humble, Texas. In 1919, a 50% interest in Humble was acquired by Standard Oil of New Jersey which acquired the rest of the ...
company, situated in an undeveloped area southeast of Houston adjacent to Clear Lake near Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay ( ) is a bay in the western Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North America
North America is a continent e ...

. At the time, the land was used to graze cattle. Immediately after Webb's announcement, Gilruth and his staff began planning the move from Langley to Houston, using what would grow to of leased office and laboratory space in 11 scattered sites. On November 1, the conversion of the Task Group to MSC became official.
Construction and early operations
Tracts of land in the vicinity of the Manned Spacecraft Center were either owned or being under exclusive control of Joseph L. Smith & Associates, Inc.
NASA purchased an additional so the property would face a highway, and the total included another reserve drilling site. Construction of the center, designed by Charles Luckman
Charles Luckman (May 16, 1909 – January 26, 1999) was an American businessman, property developer, and architect known for designing landmark buildings in the United States such as the Theme Building, Prudential Tower, Madison Square Garden
...
, began in April 1962, and Gilruth's new organization was formed and moved to the temporary locations by September. That month, Kennedy gave a speech at Rice University on the US space program. The speech is famous for highlighting the Apollo program, but Kennedy also made reference to the new Center:
The facility was officially opened for business in September 1963.
Mission Control Center
In 1961, as plans for Project Gemini
Project Gemini () was NASA's second human spaceflight program. Conducted between projects Project Mercury, Mercury and Apollo program, Apollo, Gemini started in 1961 and concluded in 1966. The Gemini spacecraft carried a two-astronaut crew. Ten ...
began, it became increasingly clear that the Mercury Control Center__NOTOC__
The Mercury Control Center (also known as Building 1385 or simply MCC) provided control and coordination of all activities associated with the NASA's Project Mercury
Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the Unit ...
located at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force
The United States Space Force (USSF) is the Space force, space service branch of the United States Armed Forces, U.S. Armed Forces, one o ...

launch center would become inadequate to control missions with maneuverable spacecraft such as Gemini and Apollo. Christopher Kraft
Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr. (February 28, 1924 – July 22, 2019) was an American aerospace engineer
Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles ...
and three other flight controller
Flight controllers are personnel who aid space flight
Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly spacecraft into or through outer space, either with or without humans on board. Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Unio ...
s began studying what was needed for an improved control center, and directed a study contract awarded to Philco
Philco (founded as Helios Electric Company, renamed Philadelphia Storage Battery Company) was a pioneer in battery, radio, and television production. In 1961 the company was purchased by Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company
T ...
's Western Development Laboratory. Philco bid on and won the contract to build the electronic equipment for the new Mission Control Center, which would be located in Building 30 of MSC rather than Canaveral or the Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; ) is an independent agency
A regulatory agency or regulatory authority, is a Public benefit corporation
Public-benefit cor ...
in Maryland. Construction began in 1963.
The new center had two Mission Operations Control Rooms, allowing training and preparation for a later mission to be carried out while a live mission is in progress. It was brought online for testing purposes during the uncrewed Gemini 2
Gemini 2 (Gemini-Titan 2; GT-2) was the second spaceflight
Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly spacecraft into or through outer space, either human spaceflight, with or uncrewed spaceflight, without humans ...

flight in January 1965 and the first crewed Gemini flight, Gemini 3
Gemini 3 was the first crewed mission in NASA's Gemini program and was the first time two American astronauts flew together into space. On March 23, 1965, astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young (astronaut), John Young flew three low Earth orbits ...

in March 1965, though the Mercury Control Center still retained primary responsibility for control of these flights. It became fully operational for the flight of Gemini 4
Gemini 4 (officially Gemini IV) With Gemini IV, NASA changed to Roman numerals for Gemini mission designations. was the second crewed spaceflight
Human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflig ...
the following June, and has been the primary flight control center for all subsequent US crewed space mission
Human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft, the spacecraft being operated directly by the onboard human crew. Spacecraft can also be telerobotic ...
s from Project Gemini forward.
NASA named the center the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center on April 14, 2011.[NASA - NASA Names Mission Control for Legendary Flight Director Christopher Kraft](_blank)
Nasa.gov (2011-04-14). Retrieved on 2013-09-06.
Apollo program
In addition to housing NASA's astronaut operations, JSC is also the site of the former Lunar Receiving Laboratory
The Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) was a facility at NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (Building 37) that was constructed to quarantine astronauts and material brought back from the Moon during the Apollo program to mitigate the risk of ...

, where the first astronauts returning from the Moon were quarantine
A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease
A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure
A structure is an arr ...

d, and where the majority of lunar sample
Moon rock or lunar rock refers to rock that is found on the Earth's Moon. This includes lunar material collected during the course of human exploration of the Moon, and rock that has been ejected naturally from the Moon's surface and landed on ...

s are stored. The center's Landing and Recovery Division operated in the Gulf of Mexico for Gemini and Apollo astronauts to practice water egress after splashdown
Splashdown is the method of landing
of Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost airline founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, with its primary operational bases at Dublin
Dublin (, ; ) is the capital ...
.
On February 19, 1973, after Johnson's death, President Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the and of the . The president directs the of the and is the of the .
The power o ...

signed into law a Senate resolution renaming the Manned Spacecraft Center in honor of Johnson, who as Senate Majority Leader
The positions of Majority Leader and Minority Leader are held by two United States senators
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress
The United States Congress or U.S. Congress is the bicame ...
had sponsored the 1958 legislation which created NASA. Dedication ceremonies under the new name were held on August 27 of that year.
One of the artifacts displayed at Johnson Space Center is the Saturn V
Saturn V was an American human-rated super heavy-lift launch vehicle used by NASA between 1967 and 1973.
A multistage rocket, three-stage, liquid-propellant rocket, liquid-fueled rocket, the Saturn V was developed under the Apollo program for ...

rocket. It is whole, except for the ring between the S-IC
The S-IC (pronounced S-one-C) was the first stage
Stage or stages may refer to:
Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''T ...
and S-II stages, and the fairing between the S-II and S-IVB
The S-IVB was the third stage on the Saturn V and second stage on the Saturn IB launch vehicles. Built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, it had one J-2 (rocket engine), J-2 rocket engine. For lunar missions it was fired twice: first for Earth orbi ...
stages, and made of actual surplus flight-ready articles. It also has real (though incomplete) Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, ''Apóllōnos'', label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, ''Apéllōn'', ; grc, Ἀπείλων, ''Apeílōn'', label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, ''Áploun'', la, Apollō, ...
command and service modules, intended to fly in the canceled Apollo 19 mission.
In June 2019, the restored Apollo Mission Control Center was opened for tourists.
Space Shuttle program
In the wake of the January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster, President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician who served as the 40th president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the and of the . The president directs the of ...

and First Lady Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and first lady of the United States
The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White ...

traveled to JSC on January 31 to speak at a memorial service honoring the astronauts. It was attended by 6,000 NASA employees and 4,000 guests, as well as by the families of the crew. During the ceremony, an Air Force band led the singing of "God Bless America" as NASA T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twinjet
A twinjet or twin-engine jet is a jet aircraft
A jet aircraft (or simply jet) is an aircraft (nearly always a fixed-wing aircraft) propelled by jet engines.
Whereas the engines in Propeller ...
supersonic jets flew directly over the scene in the traditional missing-man formation. All activities were broadcast live by the national television and radio networks.
A similar memorial service was held at the Johnson Space Center on February 4, 2003, for the astronauts who perished in the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster three days before, which was attended by President George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the Un ...

and First Lady Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush (''née'' Welch; born November 4, 1946) is an American teacher, librarian, memoirist and author who was the first lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009. Bush previously served as the List of First Ladies and Gentlem ...

. Although that service was broadcast live by the national television and radio networks, it was geared mainly to NASA employees and the families of the astronauts. A second service for the nation was led by Vice-President Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the ex ...

and his wife Lynne at Washington National Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral, is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church. The cathedral is loc ...

two days later.
On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike () was a powerful tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale m ...

hit Galveston
Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a popu ...

as a category 2 hurricane and caused minor damage to the Mission Control Center and other buildings at JSC. The storm damaged the roofs of several hangars for the T-38 Talons at Ellington Field
Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base is a joint installation shared by various active component and reserve component military units, as well as aircraft flight operations of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The National Aer ...
.
Facilities
The Johnson Space Center is home to Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center (MCC-H), the NASA control center that coordinates and monitors all human spaceflight for the United States. MCC-H directed all Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an Earth-centered orbit near the planet, often specified as having a period
Period may refer to:
Common uses
* Era, a length or span of time
* ...

missions, and currently directs American activities aboard the International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a Modular design, modular space station (habitable satellite, artificial satellite) in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (Uni ...

. The Apollo Mission Control Center, a National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. governme ...
, is in Building 30. From the moment a crewed spacecraft clears its launch tower until it lands back on Earth, it is in the hands of Mission Control. The MCC houses several Flight Control Rooms, from which flight controller
Flight controllers are personnel who aid space flight
Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly spacecraft into or through outer space, either with or without humans on board. Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Unio ...
s coordinate and monitor the spaceflights. The rooms have many computer resources to monitor, command, and communicate with spacecraft. When a mission is underway, the rooms are staffed around the clock, usually in three shifts.
JSC handles most of the planning and training of the US astronaut corps and houses training facilities such as the Sonny Carter Training Facility and the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory
The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) is an astronaut
An astronaut (from the Greek "astron" (ἄστρον), meaning "star", and "nautes" (ναύτης), meaning "sailor") is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight p ...
, a critical component in training astronauts for spacewalks. The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory provides a controlled neutral buoyancy
Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is an upward exerted by a that opposes the of a partially or fully immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus the pressure at the bo ...

environment—a very large pool containing about 6.2 million US gallons (23,000 m3) of water where astronauts train to practice extra-vehicular activity
Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity done by an astronaut or cosmonaut outside a spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite
alt=, A full-size model of t ...
tasks while simulating zero-g
Weightlessness is the complete or near-complete absence of the sensation of weight
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force acting on the object due to gravity.
Some standard textbooks define weight as a Euclidean vec ...

conditions. The facility provides preflight training in becoming familiar with crew activities and with the dynamics of body motion under weightless conditions.[
Building 31-N houses the ]Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility
The Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility (LSLF) is a repository and laboratory facility at NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Fed ...
, which stores, analyzes, and processes most of the samples returned from the Moon during the Apollo program.
The center is also responsible for direction of operations at White Sands Test Facility
White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) is a U.S. government rocket engine test facility
A rocket engine test facility is a location where rocket engine
A rocket engine uses stored rocket propellants as the reaction mass for forming a high-speed ...
in New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Greater Albuquerque
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English
English usually refer ...

, which served as a backup Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an Earth-centered orbit near the planet, often specified as having a period
Period may refer to:
Common uses
* Era, a length or span of time
* ...

landing site and would have been the coordinating facility for the Constellation program
The Constellation program (abbreviated CxP) was a crewed spaceflight
Human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflight
Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics
Astro ...
, which was planned to replace the Shuttle program after 2010, but was canceled in 2009.
The visitor center has been the adjacent Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston is a science museum which serves as the official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. It has earned a place as a Smithsonian Affiliations, Smithsonian Affiliate museum in 2014. The organization is owned ...
since 1994; JSC Building 2 previously housed the visitor center.
The Johnson Space Center Heliport is located on the campus.
Personnel and training
About 3,200 civil servants, including 110 astronaut
An astronaut (from the Greek "astron" (ἄστρον), meaning "star", and "nautes" (ναύτης), meaning "sailor") is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a ...

s, are employed at Johnson Space Center. The bulk of the workforce consists of over 11,000 contractors
A general contractor, main contractor or prime contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction
Construction is a general term meaning the and to form , , or ,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford Englis ...
. As of October 2014, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies took over United Space Alliance
:''In this article, USA refers to the United Space Alliance, not United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily lo ...
's primary contract. The center's thirteenth dirctor as of 2021 was Vanessa E. Wyche, the first being Robert R. Gilruth.
NASA's astronaut training is conducted at the Johnson Space Center. Astronaut candidates receive training on spacecraft systems and in basic sciences including mathematics, guidance and navigation, oceanography, orbital dynamics, astronomy, and physics. Candidates are required to complete military water survival prior to beginning their flying instruction. Candidates are also required to become -qualified for extravehicular training and are required to pass a swimming test. EVA training is conducted at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. Candidates are also trained to deal with emergencies associated with hyperbaric
Hyperbaric medicine is medical treatment in which an ambient pressure greater than sea level atmospheric pressure is a necessary component. The treatment comprises hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), the medical use of oxygen
Oxygen is the ch ...
and hypobaric
(Spain), used with patients and athletes who need treatment or training with reduced atmospheric pressure
A hypobaric chamber, or altitude chamber, is a chamber used during aerospace physiology, aerospace or high terrestrial altitude research or t ...
atmospheric pressures and are given exposure to the microgravity of space flight.[ Candidates maintain their flying proficiency by flying 15 hours per month in NASA's fleet of T-38 jets based at nearby Ellington Field.
]
Research
Johnson Space Center leads NASA's human spaceflight-related scientific and medical research programs. Technologies developed for spaceflight are now in use in many areas of medicine
Medicine is the science
Science () is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or something, such as facts ( descriptive knowledge), skills (proced ...

, energy
In physics
Physics is the that studies , its , its and behavior through , and the related entities of and . "Physical science is that department of knowledge which relates to the order of nature, or, in other words, to the regula ...

, transportation
Transport (in British English
British English (BrE) is the standard dialect
A standard language (also standard variety, standard dialect, and standard) is a language variety that has undergone substantial codification of grammar and ...

, agriculture
Agriculture is the science, art and practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary
Image:Family watching television 1958.jpg, Exercise trends, Increases in sedentary behaviors su ...

, communications
Communication (from Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken in the area around Rome, known as Latium. Through the power of the Roman Rep ...
, and electronics
The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons
The electron is a subatomic particle
In physical sciences, subatomic particles are smaller than ...
.
The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) office performs the physical science
Physical science is a branch of natural science
Natural science is a Branches of science, branch of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of Phenomenon, natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observa ...
research at the center. ARES directs and manages all functions and activities of the ARES scientists who perform basic research
Basic research, also called pure research or fundamental research, is a type of scientific research
The scientific method is an Empirical evidence, empirical method of acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science s ...
in earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbour and support life. 29.2% of Earth's surface is land consisting of continents and islands. The remaining 70.8% is Water distribution on Earth, covered wi ...
, planetary, and space sciences
The following Outline (list), outline is provided as an overview and topical guide to space science:
Space science , collectively also known as astroscience, encompasses all of the branches of science, scientific disciplines that involve space e ...
. ARES scientists and engineers provide support to the human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of biological classification, classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A speci ...

and robotic spaceflight
Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly spacecraft into or through outer space, either human spaceflight, with or uncrewed spaceflight, without humans on board. Most spaceflight is uncrewed and conducted mainly wit ...
programs. The responsibilities of ARES also include interaction with the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance and the Human Space Flight Programs.
Johnson Space Center was granted a five-year, $120-million extension of its agreement with the National Space Biomedical Research Institute at Baylor College of Medicine Baylor may refer to:
__NOTOC__ American schools
* Baylor University
Baylor University, or simply Baylor, is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Repub ...

to study the health risks related to long-duration space flight. The extension will allow a continuation of biomedical research
Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as experimental medicine, encompasses a wide array of research, extending from "basic research
Basic research, also called pure research or fundamental research, is a type of scientific r ...
in support of a long-term human presence in space started by the institute and NASA's Human Research Program through 2012.
The Prebreathe Reduction Program is a research study program at the JSC that is currently being developed to improve the safety and efficiency of space walks from the International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a Modular design, modular space station (habitable satellite, artificial satellite) in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (Uni ...

.
The Overflow (software), Overset Grid-Flow software was developed at Johnson Space Center in collaboration with NASA Ames Research Center. The software simulates Fluid dynamics, fluid flow around solid bodies using computational fluid dynamics.
Memorial Grove
Astronauts, center directors, and other NASA employees are memorialized in a Memorial Grove near the main entrance and visitor badging center (building 110). Trees dedicated to the memory of astronauts and center directors are in a round cluster closest to the entrance, other employees are memorialized behind along a road on the facility leading to the main entrance.
Space Shuttle retirement
JSC put in a bid to display one of the retired Space Shuttle orbiters, but was not selected.
Gallery
See also
* Johnson Space Center shooting
* List of NASA contractors
* Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
''Suddenly, tomorrow came... A history of the Johnson Space Center'' (PDF format) 1993
* [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/roundup/online/ ''Roundup'', official newsletter]
NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project – Interview with Thomas W. 'Tommy' Holloway
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/aviation/ Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary]
Mission Control Archive Footage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson Space Center
Johnson Space Center,
Buildings of the United States government in Texas
NASA facilities
Buildings and structures in Houston
Tourist attractions in Houston
Space technology research institutes
Economy of Houston
1961 establishments in Texas
Lyndon B. Johnson