As Americans all over the country celebrated the 48th anniversary of the moon landing on Thursday, NASA announced the launch of its initiative to restore the historic mission control room.
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To pay for the restorations, Space Center Houston started the “The Webster Challenge: Restore Historic Mission Control” through Kickstarter, which is on course to raise $250,000 over the next 30 days.
#RaiseForSpace: Starting tomorrow you can donate to our @kickstarter to help restore #HistoricMissionControl: https://t.co/nvIv19ZRh4 pic.twitter.com/creczh2cKm
— Space Center Houston (@SpaceCenterHou) July 20, 2017
Historic mission control is the room many people associate with NASA, given it was used throughout the Apollo, Gemini and Shuttle missions when all eyes were set on space, and an estimated $5 million is needed to revitalize the famed control room.
If the project is able to raise the target funds, renovations will include restoring flight control consoles and reactivating wall displays with projections of how they looked during the Apollo moon missions.
Please share our mission! #HistoricMissionControl needs your help. #RaiseForSpace by donating to our @Kickstarter: https://t.co/gqeG9zTYcs pic.twitter.com/qNasl0RMvB
— Space Center Houston (@SpaceCenterHou) July 20, 2017
Current NASA operations are controlled from a modernized, state-of-the art mission control room, which opened in 1995.
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While the $5 million cost for the entire project may seem unreachable, the city of Webster is contributing $3.5 million, as well as matching funds if the Kickstarter makes its goal.