Page 9 - Van Wig & Associates Newsletter, Lakewood Edge ~ September 2019 Issue
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family getaways TRAVEL
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER UNVEILS
APOLLO 11 ASTRONAUT STATUE, REIMAGINED APOLLO/SATURN V CENTER
by Patrick Connolly immersive activities than ever before.
One screen displays the site of each Apollo
he Florida summer sun shone down on landing mapped out on the moon’s surface.
Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Another takes visitors on an animated tour
TBuzz Aldrin and Michael Collins as through the Vehicle Assembly Building and
media and VIPs gathered for an event at details the rocket-building process.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s “The younger audience, they actually want
Apollo/Saturn V Center. Or rather a to be more part of the display, rather than just
glimmering, bronze, 7-foot-tall rendition of reading a plaque,” Protze said.
them. Other changes include moving the Apollo
The Cape Canaveral center’s new statue Lunar Module down from its former home
was unveiled along with recent updates to on the ceiling and onto the ground for closer
the Apollo/Saturn V Center as the Apollo 11 viewing alongside 1969 newspaper front pages
moon landing anniversary approached. sharing the good news of a successful moon
Therrin Protze, chief operating officer of landing. On a nearby touch-screen panel,
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, said guests can learn more about specific features of
it’s like the bronze astronauts have a perfect the module.
view for watching the current rocket launches. Kennedy Space Center Director Robert
“As we were putting this up, we noticed Cabana, a former NASA astronaut and veteran
how they perfectly overlook the pad. So as of four Space Shuttle missions, was among
rockets go up, we even have Neil Armstrong speakers at the Moon Tree Garden opening
shading his eyes from the sun as he’s looking ceremony. He talked about future trips to
up at rockets,” Protze said. “I do hope our space, including those to the moon and Mars.
future generations will be able to admire this “As great as our last 50 years have been, I
for many, many years.” believe that our next 50 years are going to be
Although Armstrong isn’t alive to witness even more phenomenal,” Cabana said. “We’re
the present and future of space exploration, his going back to the moon _ not just for a two or
legacy lives on through the statue. three-day camping trip _ we’re going back in
The statue, which also depicts Aldrin holding a sustainable way. But we’re going back to the
a painted American flag and Collins holding moon so that we can get to Mars.”
his helmet while proudly gazing upward, was He reminded the gathered media and VIPs
a $750,000 gift from Rocket Mortgage by that, as a part of the Artemis mission, there will
Quicken Loans. It was created by Colorado- be astronauts back on the moon in 2024.
based sculptors George and Mark Lundeen “Inside the (Apollo 14) Command Module the Moon Tree Garden. A plaque in front “I can’t wait to see that big SLS/Orion
and made a nearly 2,000-mile road trip to its was a tiny canister of almost 450 tree seeds of of each tree details a different crewed Apollo lifting off here at the end of 2020, early ‘21
permanent home. five different varieties that represented trees mission. on that first test flight. By 2022, we’re going
The Apollo 11 astronaut statue is surrounded that grew across the United States,” Roosa said. “Hopefully, these trees can unite the to be flying with a crew around the moon,”
by a tribute to all of the crewed Apollo missions. “One such tree was planted here at Kennedy world again through their beauty and their Cabana said. “In 2024, we are going to have
The newly opened Moon Tree Garden features Space Center, and it lived here happily for 40 inspiration,” Roosa said. the first woman and next man on the moon
12 trees, one for each of the manned Apollo years until Hurricane Irma took it out.” The nearby Apollo/Saturn V Center has as Americans. We’re going to make that
trips to space. The original tree was a sycamore planted in also received a facelift in the form of new, happen.” n
Rosemary Roosa, president of the Moon 1976 during the United States’ bicentennial interactive exhibits.
Tree Foundation and daughter of Apollo 14 celebrations. After the original tree fell, Roosa Unveiled during a public “transformation ©2019 The Orlando Sentinel
astronaut Stuart Roosa, said she has a personal donated second-generation seeds, to create celebration” last week, the reimagined exhibit Distributed by Tribune
connection to the trees planted in the garden. what NASA calls half-moon trees, and plant floor provides visitors more touch screens and Content Agency, LLC.
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