Come and Take It

The story of Texas has always been about self-reliance and living on the edge of the frontier. There is no better example of this than the crucial role that Texas—-and the Houston area in particular—-have played in the United States’ manned space flight program.

Before we begin… What’s our favorite movie filmed in Texas but not actually set in Texas?

• Apollo 11: Moon mission rocketed Houston to the future

  A great article by Lisa Gray from the Houston Chronicle about the effect the Manned Spacecraft Center had on the Houston area.

• What Houston looked like in the ’60s

  A visual record of the transformations in Houston during the 1960s

• Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

  Main Wikipedia article on the JSC which is great for background and a jumping-off point for your own research

• Why America’s First Astronauts All Drove Corvettes

  It wasn’t just a clever idea made up for the TV show.

• Houston 101: Neighborhood Of Astronauts

  Local description of the area where the early astronauts lived.