And finally…Houston, we have a financial problem

Last Thursday saw the 48th anniversary of the first landing of man on the moon by the Apollo 11 mission, which was controlled from the historic room, and the non-profit Space Center Houston marked the occasion by launching a new mission; a crowdfunding campaign to keep the history of the Apollo era alive and restore the treasured landmark for future generations.

Thr NASA Johnson Space Center’s historic Mission Operations Control Room, used during the Gemini, Apollo and shuttle eras, is in acute need of restoration, and the cash would be used for work to restore flight control consoles and reactivate wall displays with projections to recreate Apollo-era use of the screens.

When completed, the room will display an accurate look of the iconic room based on the Apollo era.

“You can help restore mission control and preserve this national historic landmark, which changed the course of human history,” said William T. Harris, president and CEO of the Manned Space Flight Education Foundation and Space Center Houston. “Help us keep history alive for future generations and inspire people of all ages through the wonders of space exploration.”

More than 1 million visitors from around the world annually visit Space Center Houston and most visit Historic Mission Control as part of a guided tour.

The Webster Challenge is a global effort inviting people to participate in the 30-day kickstarter to raise $250,000. The city of Webster, a longtime supporter of the centre, will match gifts dollar-for-dollar up to a maximum amount.

This spring, the city gave the lead gift of $3.5 million toward the $5 million restoration campaign goal.

The kickstarter campaign, named “The Webster Challenge: Restore Historic Mission Control”, is part of the centre’s efforts to raise the remaining $1.5 million.

NASA began celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo era earlier this year, and it culminates in 2019 with the anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing.