What does "houston" means in "houston we have a problem"?

Question

is it houston the city from texas? if so, why? why not use orlando? or new york? is this exclusive for american space shuttle? if a chinese space shuttle had problem would they also use "houston we have a problem?"

thanks

Answer 1

Houston is a major city in Texas. The reason it was used in the quote is because NASA's main command and communication center for their manned space missions is located in Houston, so astronauts use the city's name as shorthand for the NASA command center. It is not just for the space shuttle. In fact, the quote you're talking about was made on Apollo 13, something like ten years before any space shuttles had even been built.



The chinese would, of course, use some other name. Even if they used the city as shorthand like NASA does, it would be a chinese city, not an american one. I'm not exactly sure which chinese city their equivalent command center is located in. They may even use some kind of military base outside all major cities.

Answer 2

LOL...yes, Houston is used as Houston-the city from Texas. This was a particular event, and no, if a chineese space shuttle had a problem they would not reach out to Houston. Unless, of course if for some reason it happened to be thier base.

Answer 3

What Does Houston Mean

Answer 4

@slick: the shuttles launch from Florida, not Houston. But when they talk on the radio, they're talking to the control center in Houston. The same was true during the Apollo era, when that phrase became famous during Apollo 13.

Answer 5

Houston is the home of the control center of the space program, that is why they say Houston..

Answer 6

Hmm!! The whole movie of gravity 2013 kept yammering Houston! we have a problem , Houston I am the lone survivor , Houston ......!! and when the reach chinese space station same is repeated !!

Answer 7

Houston is a large city in southern Texas, the fourth largest city in the US. You should get out more. NASA's control center is located there.

Answer 8

The NASA "control center" is located in Houston.

Answer 9

The Johnson Space Center is located there. That is where flight control is located even though the launch of vehicles is located in Florida.

Answer 10

I think the command center was in houston

Answer 11

houston is used because that is where some shuttles launch off from in the u.s. and im guessing the chinese have their own saying.