Juneteenth National Historic Landmark Virtual Tour of Elliot Plantation Site
June 2022 – In honor of the Federal holiday, Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery and commemorates African American freedom and contributions to the United States, we invite you to take a virtual tour of a National Historic Landmark and one of KSC’s Historic Properties, the Elliot Plantation. You can learn more about this historic site through an earlier recorded presentation by Dr. Margo Schwadron, National Parks Services archeologist.
Preservation of Archaeological Site at KSC
July 2021 – Archaeologists have identified and excavated the remains of an 18th century plantation known as the Elliot Sugar Plantation, at KSC. The area is jointly managed by NASA, the National Park Service (NPS), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the excavation was headed by the NPS Southeast Archaeological Center.
NASA, as a federal agency, is tasked with the responsible stewardship of archaeological resources on its property, in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act and the Archeological Resources Protection Act. Partnerships like these ensure the preservation of important cultural resources to be studied and enjoyed by future generations.
Read more about the Elliot Plantation Archaeological Site
2018–2020 Preserve America Triennial Report
February 2021 – In accordance with EO 13287 Preserve America, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) has developed the sixth triennial report for the President, addressing the state of the federal government’s historic properties and their contribution to local economic development. As in past reports, NASAs Cultural Resources Management program is prominently featured. Congratulations to the NASA CRM team for continuing to execute an exemplary program!
Restoration of the Apollo Mission Control Center
July 2018 – The Johnson Space Center (JSC) Apollo Mission Control Center (MCC) restoration is compete! Finished in time to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the MCC has been restored to its late 1960s appearance, complete with recreations of the center’s original wallpaper, carpeting, and ceiling tiles. The Apollo-era Mission Control consoles have been reanimated, and the room is adorned with an array of personal items and replicas of authentic documents to recreate the historic scene setting. The project also restored the historic visitor viewing room, including repairing and restoring the original seats, and recreating the seat ashtrays using 3-d printing technology.
JSC held a reopening ceremony for the Apollo MCC on June 28, 2019. Speakers for the event included NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, JSC Director Mark Geyer, Texas Congressman Brian Babin, City of Webster Mayor Donna Rogers, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chairman Milford Wayne Donaldson, and retired Flight Director Gene Kranz. Notable guests included former flight controllers and directors; federal, state, county, and city elected officials; and representatives from nineteen media outlets.
View news articles, photos, and other media here.
Cultural Resources at SSFL
SSFL remains committed to responsible stewardship of cultural resources throughout the environmental cleanup process. In 2014, NASA signed a PA with the CA SHPO and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians for the management of cultural resources that may be affected by cleanup activities. Since then, NASA has fulfilled the following PA stipulations:
- Development of Ethnographic Study
- Renomination of the Burro Flats Archaeological Site to the NRHP (in progress)
- Development of digital tour of SSFL
NASA has also deferred demolition of the historic test stands, for as long as possible, without impacting cleanup.
Please visit the Santa Susana Field Laboratory website for more information.
Federal Recognition of Six Tribes
February 2018 – In January 2018, the United States granted federal recognition to six Native American Tribes: the Chickahominy, the Eastern Chickahominy, the Upper Mattaponi, the Rappahannock, the Monacan, and the Nansemond. NASA would like to congratulate the tribes on this event! LaRC and WFF have both initiated Government-to-Government consultation with all six newly-recognized tribes.
2015–2017 Preserve America Triennial Report
February 2018 – In accordance with EO 13287 Preserve America, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) has developed the fifth triennial report for the President, addressing the state of the federal government’s historic properties and their contribution to local economic development. As in past reports, NASAs Cultural Resources Management program is prominently featured. Congratulations to the NASA CRM team for an exemplary program!