You’ve seen the trailers for the new Apollo 11 documentary, but did you know that the 50th Anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 Moon Landing is happening this July?? On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first individuals to set foot on the moon, leaving an indelible mark on spaceflight history.
To honor this remarkable achievement, the Stafford Air and Space Museum in Weatherford, home of Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, has acquired two important pieces of this monumental mission for display – a swatch of wing fabric and a fragment of the propeller of the actual Wright Flyer that Neil Armstrong carried with him to the moon!
To have these artifacts in the Stafford Museum collection is a major acquisition. These are extremely rare and important pieces of aerospace history, presented to the museum by Neil Armstrong’s oldest son! Pieces from the first powered aircraft to successfully fly in 1903, then carried to the moon by the first man to walk on the lunar surface in 1969, are truly the “Holy Grail” of aerospace artifacts.
The early aviation gallery in the museum contains a full-scale replica of the Wright Flyer, and these newly-acquired artifacts are distinctly displayed in a unique safe next to the aircraft. The museum continues to gain national prominence through its growing collection, and is currently in the process of adding a 20,000 sq. foot expansion. The expansion will include a F-117 Nighthawk, a full-scale Lunar Module, and many more exciting exhibits! The museum has worked closely with the Smithsonian Institution, NASA, and the US Air Force Museum to assemble one of the finest collections of aerospace artifacts in the central United States.
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, the Stafford Air and Space Museum has partnered with the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and the Oklahoma History Center to create the 2019 Aviation and Space Trail! Individuals can pick up a passport of any of these three participating museums beginning today, July 1, 2019. Once his or her passport is filled after visiting all three museums, individuals will be entered for a chance to win a free membership to the museum of their choice!
The Aviation and Space Trail begins on July 1 and concludes on August 19, National Aviation Day. This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to discover aviation and space flight history right here in the state of Oklahoma! Pick one up for your budding pilot or astronaut today!
For more information about the passport program, please call the museum at 580-772-5871 or like Stafford Air and Space Museum on Facebook to follow the event page!
