SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – It was 50 years ago, July 16, 1969, that Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins lifted off for America’s most ambitious journey into space.
This Saturday will mark the 50th anniversary of Armstrong and Aldrin’s historic first steps on the moon.
The Springfield Science Museum’s Astronomy Hall, a popular attraction itself, is attracting numerous visitors interested in the lunar landing.
“People are very excited about the anniversary of the walk on the moon,” museum coordinator, Jenny Powers, explained. “And they’ve been calling to find out how we’re celebrating here. And we’re going to have a screening of a film all about the lunar landing in 1969.”
Screenings of that film — The Day We Walked on the Moon — are just the beginning. A never-before-seen space station exhibit will go on display at the Science Museum in September.
“It will be amazingly popular,” Powers told 22News. “The space station is currently slate and funded until 2025. So we know it’s going to be here for a long time.”
People like Holyoke resident Joe Tardiff, who saw the real-time TV images of the moonwalk said, “That was quite an event and I’ll never forget it.”
There are also celebrations and exhibits in the nation’s capital of America’s first successful trip to the moon in 1969.