Will Mark The 50th Anniversary Of The United States' Historic Moon Landing

The California Science Center will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing with a daylong event on July 20, 2019. Through exhibits, hands-on activities and a documentary film, guests will explore science concepts about the moon and principles that enable NASA scientists and engineers to further our understanding of what is possible in future space exploration.

In the SKETCH Foundation Air + Space gallery, visitors will see a historic collection of artifacts that help define the space program including space capsules from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, Mercury and Apollo era space suits, and a lunar sample. Hands-on education activities will highlight science principles used to study moon geology, orbits and promote future space exploration and technology.

A Ranger spacecraft, reassembled by a group of volunteers and Science Center staff, will also be on display for the celebration event and will be on permanent display once the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is completed. The Ranger spacecraft gave scientists detailed images of the lunar surface, an important step for Apollo planners to select a landing site.

In addition, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will be on site with a custom portable planetarium, for a live, interactive and immersive presentation about space science. Guests will be able to explore the universe with a NASA specialist, ask questions and discover new wonders being studied in their own backyard at JPL.

To complement the day's activities, there will be a special schedule for the critically acclaimed Apollo 11: First Steps Edition, where filmmakers reconstruct the final moments of preparation, liftoff, landing and return of this historic mission—one of humanity's greatest achievements and the first to put humankind on the Moon.  

The Science Center will be open 10 am to 5 pm. General admission is free. Tickets to the theater range from $8.95 to $6.75.

(Source: California Science Center news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.californiasciencecenter.org