Considering that it was Navy ships that rescued the Apollo crew and spacecraft that crashed from the Moon, it’s fitting that the largest temporary exhibit ever hosted by the Intrepid, a converted aircraft carrier, is themed around the first Moon landing.
The museum, which has been on Manhattan’s west side since 1982, has brought down “Apollo: When We Go to the Moon,” a vast exhibit that “highlights the remarkable history of humanity’s journey beyond our home planet and the extraordinary individuals who have come to this world.” made it happen.” Although the USS Intrepid was not involved in the Apollo rescue efforts (it brought home the second orbital crewed Mercury and the first piloted Gemini capsules), it has since become a world-class sea, air, and space museum and It became the home of NASA’s prototype space shuttle orbiter.
“‘Apollo’ focuses deeply on how humans persevered to get to the moon and space in general,” Kate Good, space curator at the Intrepid Museum, said in an interview with CollectSPACE.com. “The content includes the core theme of the space race, with a tremendous sense of urgency to be first in everything. This intensity and sustained determination has encouraged the United States to continue developing breakthrough technologies.”
“All of these themes have been consistent since the beginnings of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects, which brought us to the space shuttle age and include the museum’s beloved shuttle Enterprise,” Good said. “Visitors have the opportunity to learn about people, politics and STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] “Advances that have made and continue to make the U.S. space program stronger and more successful than ever.”
Developed by the education and curatorial staff of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Flying Fish, a traveling exhibition company, “Apollo” uses interactive experiences as well as photographs and artifacts from the rocket center’s archives to illustrate motivations. This led the United States and the former Soviet Union to “sacrifice man and machine to be the first to set foot on the moon.”
Visitors are greeted with the sights and sounds of the 1960s space race as they enter “Apollo,” which spans 9,000 square feet (840 square meters) in Intrepid’s space shuttle pavilion. As they pass beneath the Enterprise and through the exhibit, guests learn about the advances in technology that made the moon landings possible and the cultural and political climates that influenced the outcome. “Apollo” features exhibits dedicated to the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, as well as the public response to the moon landing.
Among a collection of scale models, including a 1:10 scale Saturn V, “Apollo” showcases works rarely seen by the public. Here visitors will find a set of drawings by German rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun; An original nose cone from the Jupiter rocket; a Soviet SK-1 spacesuit like the one worn by Yuri Gagarin, the first human to fly into space; and gloves, bubble helmet, and moon boots from the Apollo spacesuit.
“Personally, my favorite piece in the exhibition are the original hand casts of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins,” Good said. “The casts were used to make sure the spacesuit gloves fit perfectly without having to measure the hands repeatedly.”
“Careful observers may even notice this subtle detail: There is also an imprint of Michael Collins’ wedding ring on the cast,” he said.
More than just looking, visitors can touch a piece of the moon shaped like a lunar meteorite and make their own prints in the lunar dust by walking across the digital lunar surface backdrop. Guests can also ride a model of the Apollo lunar rover, which Intrepid promises will provide a unique photo opportunity.
“The Brave Museum has added more in-depth content that can be accessed through the ‘Bloomberg Connects’ app,” Good said, referring to the free mobile guide to museums and parks. “There are a variety of QR codes that direct visitors to additional information about Wernher von Braun, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and NASA’s current Artemis program.”
Intrepid has also planned a virtual presentation on June 23 featuring astronaut Fred Haise, who will talk about his experiences flying in Apollo 13. The museum will host Astro Live nights on April 26 and July 26 with events related to the exhibition.
Entrepreneur and dedicated astronaut Greg Olsen, whose Soyuz spacecraft is also on display in the shuttle pavilion, provided partial support in bringing the exhibit to Intrepid.
Previous “Apollo” tour stops have included the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Minnesota Science Museum, Houston Space Center, Discovery Place in North Carolina, Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, TELUS World of Science in Canada, Denver Museum of Nature. & Science and Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
“Apollo: When We Go to the Moon” will be on display at the Brave Museum from Tuesday, March 26 to September 2.
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