The desire to venture into space is nothing new. Since the dawn of time, humans have been drawn to the vast unknown of the cosmos. What is new, however, is that exploration of this frontier will soon be much more readily available to private citizens. In the last decade, the private sector has kicked off a second space race powered by industry.
Private Spaceflight: The Next Era of Exploration
The dream of private citizens flying into space has been around for decades. Now, that dream is on the verge of becoming reality. A number of firms are looking to get into space exploration as a privatized venture. This includes companies such as SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk who said its goals are to reduce the cost and improve the reliability of access to space, with an ultimate vision to make colonization of Mars possible. Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, aims to lower the cost of space travel and allow access for private citizens. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic endeavors to provide suborbital and eventually orbital space flights to tourists.
All of these organizations working toward space flight need launch facilities that can reliably monitor their craft. Discussing NASA’s Mission Control in an article for The New York Times, David W. Brown said “Judgment calls regarding spacewalks, station-threatening debris and solutions to mechanical malfunctions leave little margin for error.” With human lives at the mercy of such a hostile environment as outer space, failure is simply not an option.
Space flight is inherently risky, and its relatively new move into the private realm is uncharted territory. Ensuring that customers and property are thoroughly protected is a huge responsibility.
This is where a mission control center comes in.
Now that private ventures are getting closer to flying customers, not just crew members, there is an increased desire to alleviate potential concerns – not just for those on the ground, but also for those who will be flying.
The emerging private space industry expects to experience fairly significant demand from wealthy adventurers, despite the hefty price tag. In order to convince people that they are a safe and reputable company, providers of private space travel should put significant thought into their command centers. It is vital that they are not only functionally foolproof, but also showcase a dedication to safety, reassuring potential customers.
The Mission Control Solution
A successful command center, especially for private spaceflight, is the hub of all critical functions and a point of pride for an organization and its stakeholders. A sophisticated 24/7 command center keeping a watchful eye on all operations is a powerful demonstration of safety and preparedness. It is also a great opportunity to lean into the aesthetics of the industry. Sleek, high tech components can create a command center that would be at home in a sci-fi movie or Star Trek.
From Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, sites all over the country host space flight launches. Modern control rooms carry out the same tasks as the Apollo Mission Control did: facilitating communication with satellites, rovers, and astronauts and protecting the people and technology from the dangers of space. More than ever before, however, there is also an aspect of theatrics. In addition to performing impressive feats, these rooms also look impressive.
From high resolution video walls to control room furniture with the capacity to manage and conceal cables or equipment, there are many modern control room design solutions that marry incredibly high function with stunning aesthetics.
Constant Technologies has worked with private and public sector clients worldwide to build out mission critical command and control centers. With over 30 years in the industry, we have unique experience and knowledge of both the audiovisual and furniture requirements. Importantly, we also know the specific demands placed upon these installations.
Contact us today to find out more about Constant’s capabilities or to start planning your cutting-edge operations center with our expert team.
About Constant:
Constant Technologies, Inc. provides AV integration for 24/7 video walls and custom operation center furniture. With 30+ years of experience, we can work with sensitive environments in the public and private sectors. Constant designs and installs projects of all scopes and sizes around the world. We also offer long-term service and support. We create solutions with the highest levels of security, aesthetics and functionality in mind.
