Apollo Launch Control at Kennedy Space Center
Past Technology
The Launch Control consoles from the Apollo era help to tell the story of the launch of a Saturn V/Apollo mission in the recreation of the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As seen during our 2019 Florida Summer Vacation.
Before going into the large room to see the Saturn V rocket at Kennedy Space Center, visitors first see the Launch Control consoles that were used to begin the Apollo missions. The presentation includes a countdown of a launch, complete with room-shaking sound effects. Each console lights up at the appropriate time during the launch sequence.
But these are not recreations. These are the actual consoles used during the Apollo launches, preserved here for all to see. I am always impressed by pieces of history such as this. All of that “futuristic” technology of the late 1960s is fascinating, even today.
Watching the presentation, it is easy to imagine all of the activity and all of the people in the room before and during the launch. Everyone had an important part to play and an important function to oversee. Everyone’s cooperation was critical to the launch of the mission, as well as to the rest of the mission that followed. Because a successful mission had to start with a successful launch.
The Apollo Launch Control consoles are a great reminder of just some of the hard work that went into making the Apollo missions as successful as they were.
Everyone Has a Part
As part of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, I heard some interviews with different participants on the Apollo missions. One gentleman worked in Launch Control, while another worked in Recovery at the end of each mission. Both gentlemen were asked something about the importance of their respective jobs. And both men replied that every job was important to the success of the mission, no matter how big or small it seemed. The goal of each job was to safely send the crew to the moon and then safely return them home. Everyone had a part to play to achieve that goal, and everyone’s job was not complete until the final goal had been reached.
Recently, in the “Bible Verse” section of another post, I included Psalm 102:24:
“O my God,” I say, “take me not away in the midst of my days— you whose years endure throughout all generations!”
What originally caught my eye in that Psalm were the verses that followed, verses 25 through 28:
Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.
The writer was talking about the works of God’s hands, but we were created by God, we are also the works of his hands. I felt like the part about wearing out like a garment and God changing them like a robe was really speaking to me, especially as life moves on along. It is up to me to do the best work for God that I can while I am here, and then when my time is up, someone else will step up and do that work. It is a reminder that I am only a small part in a bigger plan. Some people may feel that makes them more insignificant, but it was actually a comfort to me. I should do what I can, but God is in control.
Just like the person responsible for one of those Launch Control consoles above, sometimes our small part in life might seem insignificant. But what each of us can do is at the same time both very important and also a small part of a much larger plan.
Do your part to the best of your ability, and let God handle the rest!
Bible Verse
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. - 1 Corinthians 12:12
About the Photo
As you might be able to tell, the lighting was mainly at low levels in the Launch Control Center recreation. But near the end of the presentation, the lights came up to a brighter level, and that is when I shot this photo.
Due to the lower light levels, I had set the camera to ISO-2000. With the aperture open to f/4.5, that gave an exposure time of 1/60 second. When I was processing the photo in Luminar, I used its noise removal module to remove as much noise as possible, since the higher ISO settings usually bring more noise.
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Luminar. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
_Lens: _ Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens
Date: June 13, 2019
Location: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
