NASA Pioneer Christopher Kraft Dies At 95

HOUSTON, TX — Christopher Kraft, the man who served as NASA’s first flight director and ran mission control during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, died at the age of 95 on Monday.

His death came just two days after the nation celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the fist moon landing.

NASA officials sent out a tweet Monday evening announcing Kraft’s death and trumpeting the achievements of the man who did so much for the NASA program.

We're saddened by the passing of Chris Kraft, our first flight director. He was a space legend who created the concept of Mission Control during the early human spaceflight program and made it an integral part of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. He was 95. pic.twitter.com/HT2T6CArrX
— NASA (@NASA) July 22, 2019

Kraft, who went on to become the director at Johnson Space Center, was still a resident of Clear Lake where the space center and mission control is still located.

“America has truly lost a national treasure today with the passing of one of NASA’s earliest pioneers – flight director Chris Kraft," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement. "We send our deepest condolences to the Kraft family.

Mark Geyer, who now leads Johnson Space Center, said none of NASA’s accomplishments in the early years of the program wouldn’t have happened without Kraft’s leadership.

"He really created what JSC started," Geyer told KPRC."And really set the tone for what it meant to be a leader and to do these audacious things that the Apollo team did."

To read more about Christopher Kraft’s accomplishments at NASA, click here.

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