Apollo Panel Reminisces on 50th Anniversaries and Lessons Carried Forward

In celebration of the 50th anniversaries of the Apollo 7 and 8 missions, NASA’s Johnson Space Center hosted a high-profile panel on Nov. 1 with Apollo astronaut Walter Cunningham; Apollo 7 and 8 Flight Director Glynn Lunney; Apollo flight director and former Johnson Center Director Gerry Griffin; and Chief of the Flight Integration Division Ginger Kerrick. Vanessa Wyche, Johnson’s deputy director, moderated the conversation. 

During the Lessions and Legacies discussion, the panelists recounted their experiences with the Apollo 7 and 8 flights and talked about how those lessons have influenced current NASA missions and future spaceflights. These lessons are especially powerful as NASA prepares to create a permanent human presence on the Moon with the blossoming Gateway program. 

Following the event, the panel members and audience mingled and shared celebratory cake in the Teague Auditorium lobby. 

Enjoy images from the NASA star-studded event below. If you weren’t able to view the panel discussion as it unfolded, watch it here.