This NASA government film reviews developments in its space program between July and September 1968. The film begins with a recap of the ground testing of astronauts and launch rehearsals for Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission. Given that technical problems were discovered during Apollo 6, the report discusses the main issue—the POGO effect—and the solution NASA instituted. The report also covers egress procedures, with both launch tower (via slide wire) and water egress training shown. We even get to see astronaut Rusty Schweickart practice a water egress technique he “borrowed from a mallard duck” at Perrin Air Force Base outside of Sherman, Texas. The film concludes with the Identification of MASCONS on the Moon, their significance to the lunar missions, and the solution to working with their effect on navigation systems.
As the scope of the American space program grew, NASA’s Space Task Group realized it would need to expand into its own facility if it were to successfully land a man on the Moon. In 1961, the agency’s selection team chose a 1,000-acre cow pasture in Houston, Texas, as the proposed center’s location site, owing to its access to water transport and commercial jet service, moderate climate, and proximity to Rice University. In September 1963, the facility opened as the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC).
The Center became the focal point of NASA’s manned spaceflight program, developing spacecraft for Projects Gemini and Apollo, selecting and training astronauts, and operating the Lunar Receiving Laboratory. Beginning with Gemini 4 in June 1965, MSC’s Mission Control Center also took over flight control duties from the Mercury Control Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. As a result, the facility managed all subsequent manned space missions, including those related to Projects Gemini and Apollo, the Apollo Applications Program, the Space Shuttle Orbiters, and the International Space Station.
In 1973, the MSC was renamed in honor of the late President and Texas native Lyndon B. Johnson. (As Senate Majority Leader, Johnson sponsored the 1958 legislation that established NASA.) The Center continues to lead NASA’s efforts in space exploration, training both American and international astronauts, managing missions to and from the International Space Station, and operating scientific and medical research programs.
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