© 2024 Central Florida Public Media. All Rights Reserved.
90.7 FM Orlando • 89.5 FM Ocala
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Apollo Flight Controllers: The People Who Made Moon Missions Happen

NASA's Gerry Griffin at a recent visit to Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex. Photo: Brendan Byrne
NASA's Gerry Griffin at a recent visit to Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex. Photo: Brendan Byrne

After launching from Kennedy Space Center, controllers in Houston, Texas took over the operation of the Apollo missions -- keeping a watchful eye on the crew and vehicle as it made the nearly quarter-million mile trip to the moon.

One of those flight controllers was Gerry Griffin. We spoke about the role controllers played during the Apollo program and how the team handled the challenges and triumphs of the first moon missions -- including the famous “SCE to AUX” fix that saved Apollo 12.

Brendan Byrne is Central Florida Public Media's Assistant News Director, managing the day-to-day operations of the newsroom, editing daily news stories, and managing the organization's internship program. Byrne also hosts Central Florida Public Media's weekly radio show and podcast "Are We There Yet?" which explores human space exploration, and the weekly news roundup podcast "The Wrap."