JOANN MORGAN

What was your role during the Apollo 11 mission and what did it entail?

My job as instrumentation controller in the Launch Control Center firing room was associated with the ground systems that supported the launch phase of Apollo 11, understanding and following the health and welfare of all the instrumentation systems.

Did you know beforehand you would be the only woman in the firing room?

In later years I learnt that my director, Karl Sendler, had decided that he wanted me there and he said to me, “You’re my best communicator and I want you on the console.” I listened to 21 channels and I had