Return to the Pad: Astronaut Michael Collins Reflects on Apollo On July 16, 2019, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch to the Moon, Kelvin Manning, left, Kennedy Space Center associate director, technical, talks to Bob Sieck, former Apollo 11 launch team member and space shuttle launch director, in Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the background is Sean Quinn, director of Engineering.