Deaths: NASA's Mission Control Guy, Chris Kraft

From the July 24, Chicago Sun-Times obituaries "Founder of NASA's Mission Control" by Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer.

CHRIS KRAFT (1924-2019)

"Behind America's late leap into orbit and triumphant small step on the moon was the agile mind and guts of steel of Chris Kraft, making split-second decisions that propelled the nation into once unimaginable heights.

"Mr. Kraft, the creator and longtime leader of NASA's Mission Control died Monday (July 22) in Houston, just two days after the 50th anniversary of what was his and NASA's crowning achievement:  Apollo 11's moon landing.  He was 95."

He founded Mission Control and created the job of flight director, which he held, describing it as being like am orchestra conductor making sure all the parts ran well.  He served as flight director for every one-man Mercury flights and seven of the two-man Gemini flights and helped design the Apollo missions that took 12 Americans to the moon from 1969 to 1972.

He was later director of the Johnson Space Center until 1982, overseeing the beginning of the space shuttle era.