The following is a press announcement from the San Diego Air & Space Museum concerning the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 9, the space mission which proved the Lunar Lander for the eventual mission to the moon a few months later. Celebrations of this momentous flight set to take place at the museum this coming March 13th, the anniversary of the spaceflight’s completion. It will be a remarkable event featuring all three astronauts who actually flew aboard Apollo 9, along with mission Flight Directors Gerry Griffin and Gene Kranz… not to mention other Apollo greats. It will be a memorable occasion, so if you can go – GO!!! Read on to find out how…
Apollo 9 50th Anniversary Celebration Set for March 13 at the San Diego Air & Space Museum!
Apollo 9, which paved the way for later lunar exploration – including the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing – kicks off a year-long international celebration of 50 Years of Apollo at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Don’t miss out!
San Diego, CA – February 12, 2019 – The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 9, the first of four Apollo flights in 1969 – including the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing in July later that year – takes center stage during a special celebration at the San Diego Air & Space Museum on Wednesday, March 13, the Museum announced today. Tickets are going fast!
As of this press release, all three Apollo 9 crew members – Commander James McDivitt, Command Module Pilot David Scott, and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart, as well as Flight Directors Gerry Griffin and Gene Kranz and other Apollo luminaries – are scheduled to attend the celebration.
“Throughout 2019, the world is honoring 50 years of Apollo, beginning with the Apollo 9 anniversary on March 13, exactly 50 years to the day of Apollo 9’s splash down after its ground breaking 10-day mission,” said Jim Kidrick, President & CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum. “Anyone and everyone who remembers NASA’s Mercury, Gemini and Apollo legacy space programs will want to be here for this incredible evening commemorating one of America’s finest achievements.”
Apollo 9 was just the third manned spaceflight in the Apollo program. The three-astronaut crew — McDivitt, Scott, and Schweickart — paved the way for later lunar exploration with a series of milestones, including the first Extravehicular Activity (spacewalk) of the Apollo program, NASA’s first two-man EVA, the first manned test flight of the Lunar Module, and the first docking of two manned American spacecraft.
The celebration offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see all three Apollo 9 crew members with their actual Command Module “Gumdrop,” as well as the opportunity to become a sponsor and sit at one of the astronauts’ tables.
The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner and the program to follow at 6:30 p.m. For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit http://sandiegoairandspace.org/calendar/event/50th-anniversary-of-apollo-9
The San Diego Air & Space Museum is California’s official air and space museum and education center. The Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and was the first aero-themed Museum to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Opening in March: SPACE: Our Greatest Adventure, an informative, educational, interactive — and most of all — fun experience for the whole family, with selfie stations on the Moon, Mars and in the International Space Station, and hands-on learning experiences for explorers of all ages. The Museum is located at 2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101. The Museum and gift store are open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with admissions until 4:30 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
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