Apollo 11's crew capsule is going on a four-city tour

[Shawn Knight]

On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission successfully delivered the first humans to the surface of the moon. A few days later, the command module Columbia safely brought Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins back to Earth.

In celebration of the upcoming 50^th anniversary of the moon landing, the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum is taking the capsule on a four-city tour over the coming years. It’ll be the first time the capsule has left the museum since it opened to the public in 1976, NPR notes.

The exhibition will travel to some of the country’s top museums starting later this year and running through the fall of 2019. Locations and dates are as follows:

• Space Center Houston -- October 14, 2017 to March 18, 2018
• St. Louis Science Center -- April 14, 2018 to September 3, 2018
• Senator John Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh -- September 29, 2018 to February 18, 2019
• The Museum of Flight, Seattle -- March 16, 2019 to September 2, 2019

Kathrin Halpern, a project director at the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, said that because of the module’s weight (more than 13,600 pounds on its travel ring), it was required that each venue submit engineering documentation to ensure that the floor could support not only Columbia but the rest of the traveling exhibit.

The tour, dubbed Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission, will additionally include more than 20 other related artifacts. Once complete, the module will return to the National Air and Space Museum where it’ll be part of a permanent Destination Moon exhibit scheduled to open in 2020.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/68279-apollo-11-crew-capsule-going-four-city-tour.html

 

[Uncle Al]

I remember sitting on a dirt floor at a boys camp at Hylake TN watching that first step. There were about 100 boys of all ages seeing it on a little B&W television and we talked about it for the rest of the time we were at camp. Yep, if it's anywhere near me I'll take the drive to see it again and remember the real glory days of NASA and the dreams of every youngster of the day ..... to be a "Rocket Man" .......

 

[learninmypc]

If I'm still around in March 16, 2019 to September 2, 2019, I plan on going to see it.

 

[MannerMauler]

I'm just waiting for someone to cry "FAKE NEWS!!! THE MOON LANDING WAS FAKE!!!", why do so many (not including me) think the moon landings are fake?

 

[p51d007]

A wide eye 9 year old was watching that hot July evening as Neil, Buzz, Michael were around the moon.
I remember the Apollo 11 command module traveling the country the next year and saw it at the Missouri state capital. Stood in line for hours to see it. Might just have to make a trip to St. Louis next year to see it again.