Just after the spacecraft safely touched down on the lunar surface, Charlie Duke said to the crew, “Roger, Tranquility. We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue—we’re breathing again. Thanks a lot.” The hard work and preparation of the men who stayed back on Earth was what made John F. Kennedy’s dreams of space exploration come true.
It took the restoration crew roughly six years to return the Apollo Mission Control Room to its original retro appearance. Every inch of the room was cleaned and restored by workers, enhancing the 1960s pistachio palette seen on the consoles, as well as ridding the room of 50-year-old gum stuck in places people thought would never be found. Let that be a lesson to us all.
From the artifacts sitting on the consoles to the displays projected at the front of the room, every detail has been carefully put in its proper place. Peep the American flag hanging in the back of the room—this flag went to the Moon on Apollo 17, was planted in the ground, then returned home as a souvenir. Next to the flag, a duplicate of the plaque placed on the Moon hangs on the wall.
Perhaps the only aspect of the room that wasn’t preserved was the thick stench of smoke, burnt coffee, banana peels and pizza boxes. But the ashtrays, pipes, cigarettes and coffee mugs sit in the room as reminders of the aroma. And yes, the Styrofoam cup is authentic to the ‘60s—it’s not an original artifact, but we’re certain this one will last for years to come.
In case you’re worried we didn’t get detailed enough, check the binders in the room. Each one is filled with authentic documents that would’ve been used during the Apollo missions. Some of the documents have been recreated, but many of them were copied from originals that employees had saved for 50 years.
Each console was rigged to send tubes throughout the building, often filled with important documents, but also stuffed with sandwiches and cake (all of the essentials to send men to the Moon).
Several of the surviving Apollo alumni visited mission control for the grand opening of the room at the end of June. Except for the smoke, they say the room looks just as they remember it did 50 years ago. It’s one giant leap—back in time.
This week, you can watch us salute our #Apollo50th heroes and look forward to our next giant leap for future missions to the Moon and Mars. Tune in: https://go.nasa.gov/Apollo50thEvents
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What in the fresh hell is a “dialectics”?? A primer on anticapitalist political economy
Well, the singular and plural forms of “kaiju” are the same, so I’m gonna talk about six of ‘em.
Anguirus: I know, he has appearances aplenty. Thing is, G-fans (myself included) have long cast Anguirus as Godzilla’s sidekick, lacking in strength but equal in tenacity - and Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) is the only movie where he gets to fulfill that roll. (Maybe Rulers of Earth will show a bit more of that - Matt Frank is definitely a fan of the pair.) I would’ve loved to see him and Rodan in Godzilla ‘14 as the Two Other Monsters, but hopefully they’re arrive in the sequel.
Baragon: Frankenstein Conquers the World gave him a wonderful set of abilities (sadly missing in GMK): an underground monster, his heat ray helps him soften the rock he tunnels through, and his nasal horn lights the way. Plus, he’s basically the puppy of the kaiju world. LOOKIT THAT PRECIOUS FACE. :3
Kameba: Hey, after Tokyo SOS he’s technically a Godzilla monster. Sure, I’d rather see the Big G face Gamera, but Kameba is a fine turtle monster himself, with an interesting jagged shell, forehead armor, extendable neck, and goofy-looking front teeth.
Megalon: He’s got quite the range of abilities, and his spastic, hammy personality allows an update to go in two directions: either a respectful rendition (a noble guardian, perhaps) or a Harmless Villain.
Titanosaurus: The rare peaceful kaiju, Titanosaurus has a colorful design and a seldom-seen affinity for the water. At least he got to take center stage in Godzilla Legends #3.
Biollante: The idea behind Biollante is a bit odd - half-plant, half-Godzilla - but executed wonderful, with what’s probably the best wireworks in the series. And that “human spirit” inside of her lends itself to some interesting story possibilities.
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