WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force has planned a 17-day celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 15 moon landing. The event will take place from July 22 through Aug. 7 at the museum, and
Apollo 15 completed the fourth successful moon landing mission with an all-U.S. Air Force crew in 1971, according to the museum. Col. David Scott, Lt. Col. James Irwin, and Maj. Alfred Worden flew the command module Endeavour, so named after the ship of Capt. James Cook on his famous 18th century scientific voyage, to the moon.
Apollo 15 focused mainly on lunar science, and was the first mission to use a lunar rover vehicle. The crew spent four days traveling to the moon, before Scott and Irwin landed the lunar module Falcon on the moon’s surface. They spent 67 hours exploring and setting up scientific experiments. Worden remained in orbit aboard Endeavour conducting experiments and photographing the moon. Just over 12 days after launch, the crew returned safely, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.
The Apollo 15 Command Module is on display in the museum’s Space Gallery courtesy of a loan from the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Other spacecraft on display in the Space Gallery include Mercury and Gemini, as well as the Space Shuttle Crew Compartment Trainer.
The Space Celebration offers something for the whole family to enjoy, the museum said, including guest speakers, space-themed exhibits and simulator rides, a build-and-launch rocket activity and solar system 5k fun run.
Highlights of the event include an interactive space exhibit titled Space: A Journey to Our Future throughout the event, “The Beauty of Space” art exhibit, a special presentation on living and working in space by NMUSAF Historian Dr. Doug Lantry on July 23, displays of rarely seen space artifacts on July 24 and July 31, and a myriad of other activities.
A Lunar Rover Vehicle will be on display from the Armstrong Air & Space Museum on Aug. 2, and museum visitors will be able to build and launch rockets on Aug. 7.
For more detailed information about events at the Space Celebration, please visit the museum website https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Space-Celebration/
