In 1961, as plans for Project Gemini began, it became increasingly clear that the Mercury Control Center located at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station launch center would become inadequate to control maneuverable spacecraft such as Gemini and Apollo. Christopher Kraft and three other flight controllers began studying what was needed for an improved control center, and directed a study contract awarded to Philco’s Western Development Laboratory. Philco bid on, and won the contract to build the new Mission Control Center (MCC), which would be located in Building 30 of MSC rather than Canaveral. Construction began in 1963.[17] The MCC was brought online for testing purposes during the unmanned Gemini 2 flight in January 1965[17] and the first manned Gemini flight, Gemini 3 in March 1965, though the Mercury Control Center still retained primary responsibility for control of this flight. The MSC became operational during the flight of Gemini 4 the following June. MCC became the primary flight control center for all subsequent U.S. manned space missions from Project Gemini forward.[9][10]
NASA named the center the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center on April 14, 2011.[18]