Johnson Space Center

Read more on my reflections of visiting Johnson Space Center after NASA Social graciously asking me to participate in a cross-site day of celebration of 50 Years of NASA and the upcoming landing of Mars Science Laboratory

Ed Van Cise (@Carbon_Flight) welcomes us to Johnson Space Center's Mission Control Room which will include support for Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity).
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Folks are very excited to listen and watch the fine folks oversee the operation of the International Space Station.
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We got some special access to the Apollo Mission Control Room. This room has been marked a National Heritage Site -- everything in it including the carpeting is authentic and original from the Apollo era.
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I only wish my own status reports were so easily color coded.
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Before there was e-mail and before there was internet composed of "tubes" there was real tubes of pressurized airing delivering p-mail: Pneumatic-mail. I think I know understand those kids who I wonder at when they see a cord-phone ... seriously, sending "mail" (including sandwiches and cans of soda) via tubes. Wild. What will they think of next?
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The very coveted Flight Directory station.
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Me as flight director? I like the ring of that. Get it? Sigh.
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International Space Station docking alignment thing-a-ma-jig; it is tiny!
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Chillin'
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Pronounced ki-boh, or "hope" in Japanese. The Japanese name for JEM module that is now attached to the International Space Station.
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Critical Space Item indeed.
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Simulation of commanding a spacecraft on the moon of Phobos with Mars out the viewport.
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Working prototype of a Moon rover
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NASA!
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Sub-pressurized chamber (the only one of its kind in the world) that allows NASA to understand the effects of varying oxygen mixture and pressure on humans to determine an optimal level. Too much oxygen is dangerous for fires (see Apollo 1 tragedy). Too little oxygen ... well, kaput. These variables also impact the time it takes to exchange atmosphere in an airlock, and thus have impact on structure and operations.
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Note that the lettering is backward. Astronauts use a mirror on their sleeve to read the settings in order to operate.
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Ward's Pics

Johnson Space Center