USSRC Gala to Mark 40th Anniversary Year of Apollo Moon Missions

HUNTSVILLE, AL – The Davidson Center for Space Exploration at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville will be the site of a black-tie optional dinner and dance celebrating the Apollo space program on Saturday, February 7, 2009, beginning with a reception at 6:00 P.M., dinner and program to follow at 7:00 P.M.
Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke will be the featured speaker, and CNN’s Miles O’Brien will be the Master of Ceremonies.
“We’re going to have a party, not a series of long-winded speeches,” according to Larry Capps, the Space Center’s CEO. “This will be a celebration honoring the many Huntsvillians who were so largely responsible for the overall success of the Apollo program.”
The Year of Apollo gala will also include the presentation of the first Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger Visionary Award, dedicated to the memory of von Braun rocket team member and long-time Huntsville resident Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger.
Additionally, ribbon cutting ceremonies for three important new exhibits in the Davidson Center will take place February 7th, beginning at 1:30 P.M. Apollo 12 astronauts Dick Gordon and Alan Bean will be on-hand for the dedication of the Apollo 12 Mobile Quarantine Facility, the isolation chamber in which they were housed following their historic lunar voyage. Last year, the MQF was discovered at an abandoned research facility in Perry County, Alabama. It was later obtained and brought to Huntsville by the USSRC where it has been fully restored, thanks to a generous grant from Huntsville-based Wesfam Restaurants, Inc., a Burger King Corporation Franchisee.
A 1:10 scale model of the Ares I, sponsored by ATK, and a 1:10 scale model of the Ares V, sponsored by Lockheed Martin, will also be formally dedicated.
A number of astronaut authors will be on-hand during the day on February 7th, greeting the public and autographing copies of their respective publications. Their books and prints will be on sale in USSRC gift shops.
“We believe a thousand years from now, history will still regard these early lunar missions as one of mankind’s most remarkable achievements,” Capps said. He adds, “That’s Huntsville’s legacy. The highway to the moon begins right here and that’s what we’re celebrating.”
Corporate seating and individual tickets for the Year of Apollo gala are now on sale. For more information, visit www.spacecamp.com or call the U.S. Space & Rocket Center at 1-800-63-SPACE.

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Note to reporters: This release coincides with the 40th anniversary of the flight of Apollo 8, the first Apollo mission in which astronauts traveled to the moon without landing on the lunar surface. As such, we will provide a DVD highlight reel at the news conference to assist TV with any coverage. Additional materials are posted at www.spacecamp.com/media/yoa for your free and unrestricted use.

The contact for this release is Al Whitaker, Media Relations Manager, U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL 256-721-7160 Email: media@spacecamp.com.