Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center ("JSC") is the NASA installation wherein is located the Mission Control Center (MCC) for all American manned spaceflights. The mission control center was moved from Cape Canaveral to Houston, Texas as a result of pull from Texas' Native Son and then Senate Leader Lyndon Baines Johnson who is now honored as the facility's namesake. The later Vice President and US President, Johnson, co-wrote legislation creating NASA in 1958. There was no particular technical reason involved in the move from Cape Canaveral, however a Manned Spaceflight Center formation committee decided there would be better visibility and support of the space program if functional areas were spread throughout the US. While Cape Canaveral would continue to function as the launch control center, Houston would become host to the spaceflight control center and astronaut training.

Related Topics:
NASA - Mission Control Center - Manned spaceflight - Cape Canaveral - Houston - Texas - Lyndon Baines Johnson - US President

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The Johnson Spaceflight center has been in full spaceflight operation control since the Gemini 4 mission in 1965. The facility was tested in limited support for the Gemini 3 mission, the last controlled out of Cape Canaveral. JSC was originally established as "Manned Spacecraft Center" in 1961 and subsequently renamed the "Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center" in 1973, honoring LBJ, following his passing that year.

Related Topics:
Gemini 4 - Gemini 3 - Cape Canaveral - 1961 - 1973

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JSC is located in southeast Houston, Texas. The land occupied by the space center was donated to NASA by Rice University.

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JSC is the home office for U.S. astronauts and is also the site of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory, where the first astronauts returning from the Moon were quarantined and where returned samples of lunar soil and rock are stored.

Related Topics:
Astronaut - Lunar Receiving Laboratory - Moon - Quarantine - Samples of lunar soil and rock

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