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This story is part of a series commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.
Whenever we have a space-related story in the pipeline at WIRED, we in the art department all look at each other and say, “Oh, well Dan has to shoot this.” That’s because Winters, who has a vast photographic history with WIRED from the past couple of decades, is space-obsessed. Anything NASA related, he knows about it and can tell you everything. It could take hours. Or days. So when NASA told him that the Apollo mission control room in Houston was getting a makeover, he knew he had to shoot it. Well, it was more like a make-back-over to its exact state on the day Apollo 11 touched down on the surface of the moon (cigarettes and all). NASA opened the newly restored mission control room to the public on July 1; Winters shared an image from a private viewing he photographed a couple weeks prior. Winters, who has been photographing Apollo mission archives and artifacts for decades, spoke to WIRED about this project and his space obsession.
Anna Alexander: Thank you so much for sharing this incredible and emotional project with WIRED. How did it come about?
Dan Winters: Having worked for so many years with NASA, I have forged relationships with many of the agency’s personnel. Public Affairs Officer Shaneequa Vereen and I spoke about the full restoration of the Apollo mission control room, and she invited me to photograph it in its Apollo-era glory. Hallowed ground if there ever was.
As long as I've known you, you have had a very healthy obsession with the space program. How did your love of NASA start?
I grew up in the ’60s, and like most kids my age I wanted to be an astronaut. Astronauts were constantly in the press. Every kid I knew could name the majority of them. They were on everyone’s mind. Space exploration was a part of the public dialog.
Did you watch Apollo 11 on TV?
I was glued to the television during the Apollo 11 mission, watching every aspect of it with great devotion. I sat in our small living room with two TV trays in front of me. One for food and one that served as a workbench for a model of the Apollo capsule that I built.
Tell me about your model-making!
I trace my passion for model building directly to the space program and the science fiction films that I devoured in my childhood. Comics and sci-fi movies, as well as Famous Monsters Of Filmland magazine and Super 8 Filmmaker magazine, were very influential for me. My love for all things related to science and mechanics probably stemmed from my father’s interest in the topics.
Are there any other artists you admire who are using extraterrestrial and space mission inspirations in their work?
Tom Sachs is amazing. Adam Savage is a kindred spirit as well. My good friend John Goodson is a profoundly talented artist and model builder. He is a great inspiration to me.
What was your favorite space-related project?
I’ve done so many projects that revolved around space exploration over the years. The one that comes to mind was documenting the last three launches of the shuttle program. The project in its entirety became my book Last Launch, of which I am very proud.
I know you are a hoarder, ahem, I mean collector of objects and antiques. Do you have anything from the Apollo missions?
I own two pieces from the Apollo program. They are small F-1 engine parts and not very impressive, but both are marked “Apollo” and they are very dear to me. I also have one of the large capsules and one of the engine bells from the film First Man.
What are your feelings about the new tech billionaire missions to space?
I’m not a fan of space tourism. Space flight should be earned, not purchased. When Richard Garriot went to the ISS he was no tourist. He earned that seat, even though he paid $25 million for it. I am, however, happy that the private sector is working independently as well as with NASA to advance the cause. I’ll go on record as saying that going to Mars is a terrible idea and a massive waste of money. Robots, which I’m all for, can do it way better.
Would you go on a space mission?
I don’t really have any interest in traveling into space. As a younger man I would have jumped at the chance. I see my role in manned spaceflight as chronicler. My contribution to this grand cause are my images. I hope they serve to inspire those who may make the trip in the future.
Anna Goldwater Alexander is WIRED’s director of photography.
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