NASA is ready to demolish the moon landing laboratory in 1969

NASA is preparing to destroy the laboratory where the Apollo 11 astronauts were quarantined upon their return to Earth, following the historic landing of the moon in 1969.

The space agency says that the so-called lunar reception laboratory (LRL) at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, has not been used for two years and is in an advanced state of disrepair.

The building will probably be demolished next year, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Completed in 1967, the LRL was built to quarantine astronauts and the materials they brought back from the moon during the Apollo program to ensure they were free of disease.

After the completion of the Apollo program in 1975, the LRL hosted research on the effects of spaceflight on the human body. However, an economic analysis conducted in 2015 concluded that the structure and electrical wiring of the building were in such a bad state that they could not be repaired.

the the Chronicle reports that pieces of fiberglass and discarded office equipment are scattered on the floor of the building, while the exposed wires hang from the ceiling.

"I hate to see what this building represents and what we did here 50 years ago is going away," said Judy Allton, curator at Johnson Space Center. the Chronicle.

A scientist, who has worked in the lab over the last six Apollo missions, expressed his sadness for the future of the building, but acknowledged that the structure would be too expensive to preserve.

"Sometimes, in life, we have to make difficult decisions and I do not know what you could do with it," said Everett Gibson. "It's rotting and the cost of maintaining it is just terrible – I do not think it's so exciting for a man and a woman on the street."

Sandra Tetley, a Johnson Historical Preservation Officer, said she would try to retrieve as much equipment as possible before the demolition, as well as the original stairs, pillars and walkways. These could be exposed in the future.

NASA has announced that the LRL would be replaced by an energy efficient building, designed by the HDR architecture firm.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the historic landing of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, which occurred on July 20, 1969, around 8:17 pm UTC when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Lunar Module Eagle on the surface. of our only natural satellite.

About six hours later, Armstrong became the first human to step on the lunar surface – and Aldrin joined him shortly thereafter.

During the landing, Michael Collins was in orbit over the moon and piloted the Columbia control module. Once Armstrong and Aldrin finished their stay on the surface, the two astronauts docked at Columbia to begin their long journey back home.