Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, NASA space center in Houston, United States.
The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center is a NASA facility and research institute in Houston that serves as the primary hub for human spaceflight missions. The site covers 656 hectares (1,620 acres) and houses control rooms, simulators, training areas, and laboratories used by astronauts and engineers.
President Kennedy established the center in 1961 as part of his goal to land humans on the Moon, and all Apollo missions were coordinated from here. Since the early 1990s, the facility has also directed crews aboard the International Space Station and developed systems for journeys to Mars.
The center's radio call sign "Houston" became the word astronauts used to address Mission Control, and the city took the nickname "Space City" in 1967. The name honors Lyndon B. Johnson, a Texas native; the Senate renamed the Manned Spacecraft Center for him on February 19, 1973, after his presidency, not during it.
Visitors should plan several hours to explore the various exhibits and guided tours, as the grounds are large and many areas require walking. Most indoor spaces are air-conditioned and designed for accessibility, making it easy for all ages to move through the facilities.
The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory holds 23 million liters (6.2 million gallons) of water, where astronauts train underwater with full-scale spacecraft replicas to simulate spacewalks. These sessions often last six hours and allow crews to practice weightless movement before traveling into orbit.
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