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NASA legend Gene Kranz returns to mission control | Space photo of the day for May 21, 2025

an older man wearing a jacket and tie sits at the restored console inside a historic mission control room

Gene Kranz, who served in Apollo mission control as "White Flight," was at the head of the room when Apollo 11 landed on the moon and Apollo 13 "had a problem." He may have never said "Failure is not an option," but his record of success has earned him a prestigious award.

What is it?

On May 15, 2025, Kranz received the 2024 American Astronautical Society (AAS) Lifetime Achievement Award for his "exemplary leadership and a 'must-never-fail' style that ensured historic mission successes, empowered human space exploration, saved lives and inspired individuals around the world."

Where is it?

Prior to a public celebration at Space Center Houston, Kranz revisited his former workplace — the now history Apollo mission control room at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. In this photo, he poses with his award at the restored console where once led flights to the moon.

Why is it amazing?

"Gene didn't just help put humans on the moon, he helped build the mindset that made missions possible. Forging ahead into the Artemis generation, we still see the lasting impact of Gene's leadership today," said Steve Koerner, acting director of the Johnson Space Center.

The AAS lifetime achievement award is only presented once every ten years. Previous honorees have been Werner von Braun (1964), William Pickering (1974), George Low (1984), Norm Augustine (1994), Pete Aldrige (2004) and Ed Stone (2014).

Want to learn more?

You can read about the role of NASA flight directors and another way that veterans of Houston mission control have been honored.

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Robert Pearlman is a space historian, journalist and the founder and editor of collectSPACE.com, a daily news publication and community devoted to space history with a particular focus on how and where space exploration intersects with pop culture. Pearlman is also a contributing writer for Space.com and co-author of "Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space” published by Smithsonian Books in 2018.In 2009, he was inducted into the U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2021, he was honored by the American Astronautical Society with the Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History. In 2023, the National Space Club Florida Committee recognized Pearlman with the Kolcum News and Communications Award for excellence in telling the space story along the Space Coast and throughout the world.

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