--July 20 is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. On that day in 1969 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the Moon, while fellow Apollo 11 crew member Michael Collins orbited above in the mission's Command Module. The entire mission lasted from July 16 until July 24. In honor of the anniversary the Museum is featuring several special events in July.
Exhibit of Apollo Spacesuit
July 1 - Aug. 31
This spacesuit was used by Apollo 10 Command Module pilot John Young. Young's stellar career with NASA included space flights on the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. The spacesuit is on display in the "Space: The Final Frontier" exhibit.
Exhibit of Apollo 11 Artwork by Paul Calle
July 1 - September 12
Paul Calle Lecture
Aug. 29, 2 p.m.
Artist Paul Calle was hired by NASA to document the space program during the 1960s and was the only artist allowed to observe and sketch preflight preparations for Apollo 11. The Museum is the exclusive host of a new exhibit of approximately 20 original sketches and paintings of Apollo 11 scenes by Calle. In conjunction with the exhibit, the artist and his son Chris Calle will be at the Museum to talk about NASA art and the Apollo missions in a public program in the William M. Allen Theater on Aug. 29. The program is free to Museum members or with admission to the Museum.
For more information and images see: http://www.museumofflight.org/exhibits/paulcalle_apollo11
In conjunction with the exhibit, the artist and his son Chris Calle will be at the Museum to talk about NASA art and the Apollo missions in a public program in the William M. Allen Theater on August 29. The program is free to Museum members or with admission to the Museum.
Bank of America Weekend Family Workshop: Apollo Program: Splashdown!
Saturdays and Sundays, July 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19, 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Learn how astronauts navigate with the stars. Then make your own Apollo space capsule and reenact an Apollo re-entry and splashdown!
Tip-to-Tail Tours: Apollo Artifacts
July 18 - 25, 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. July 19 only: 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
"Space: Exploring the New Frontier" Exhibit
Join a Museum docent for free tour of Apollo artifacts including an Apollo command module and lunar rover.
NASA TV Apollo Astronaut Panel Discussion Broadcast Live from Washington, D.C.
Monday, July 20, 11 a.m., William M. Allen Theater
Exactly 40 years since Apollo 11 astronauts became the first humans on the Moon, NASA and the Newseum museum of news in Washington, D.C. are hosting a special public program commemorating this historic event. Originating at the Newseum and broadcast on NASA TV, the panel features Laurie Leshin, Deputy Director, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and three Apollo program astronauts who have left their footprints on the lunar surface: Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin (Apollo 11), Alan L. Bean (Apollo 12), and Charles M. Duke, Jr. (Apollo 16). "The Apollo Legacy: The Moon and Beyond," will also feature Space Shuttle mission specialist John Grunsfeld (STS-125). Grunsfeld was the lead spacewalker during the recent Hubble Space Telescope service mission. Veteran journalist Nick Clooney will moderate the program. The Museum of Flight will screen this event at 11 a.m. on the big screen in the William M. Allen Theater.
The NASA "Vision for Space Exploration" Mobile Trailer Exhibit
July 23 - 25, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Museum Airpark Parking Lot
The Vision for Space Exploration Experience exhibit is housed in a 53-foot-long tractor and trailer rig. The exhibit is designed to share with visitors NASA's exploration goals to return to the moon and travel to Mars and beyond. The experience is intended to inspire visitors as they embark on a simulated journey into space. The exhibit is staffed by NASA professionals in a wide variety of space-related programs. The exhibit will be parked on the Museum's west campus, next to the Airpark. Admission is free.
The exhibit begins with a cosmic waiting area where visitors will learn what they will need to travel to the moon and Mars. Holographic video maps of the moon and Mars will allow visitors to learn more about their surfaces, the history of NASA's research on each, and future plans for exploration. The second section of the exhibit features a hexagonal theater with an interactive floor that allows visitors to feel as if they are walking on the surfaces of the moon and Mars. This section of the exhibit also explains NASA's future plans of traveling back to the moon to create a working environment that will help ensure safe future travel further into the solar system.
Robotics on the Road
Friday and Saturday, July 24 - 25, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Side Gallery
Robots on the Road is a traveling program from NASA's Aerospace Education Specialists Project. ROTR allows the public to engage in exciting, hands-on robotics activities in which they are given a robot and asked to discover what tasks it can complete and how it is able to complete them. ROTR helps people understand how robots operate, while using problem-solving, team building, and critical thinking skills which simulate those used by NASA scientists and engineers.
### The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5 (on Boeing Field between downtown Seattle and SeaTac Airport.) The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $14 for adults, $13 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for active military, $7.50 for youth 5 to 17, and free for children under 5. Group rates are available. Admission on the first Thursday of the month is free from 5 to 9 p.m. courtesy of Wells Fargo. For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org.
