Mission Control: From Apollo to Artemis

The upcoming Artemis II mission, much like the historic Apollo flights, will be directed from a mission control center on Earth, where teams will monitor the spacecraft and its crew. This fundamental operational approach has been refined and modernized since its inception during the Space Race.

NASA's Christopher C. Kraft, Jr. Mission Control Center, located in Houston, Texas, is named after the individual who originated the mission control concept. The center's namesake, Christopher Kraft, pioneered the idea of consolidating all technical experts and flight controllers for a mission into a single room, all reporting to a central flight director.

The original mission control center, which oversaw the first Moon landing, is now a preserved U.S. National Historic Landmark. It became famously associated with the phrase "failure is not an option" following the successful management of the Apollo 13 crisis.

Adjacent to this historic facility is the contemporary control center built for 21st-century lunar exploration. Its fundamental purpose remains consistent with its predecessors: to ensure the safety and success of the crew and mission, now guiding a new era of astronauts back to the Moon.