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Apollo 11 50th Anniversary

Apollo 11 50th Anniversary - Smithsonian Poster Exhibit

Gregg-Graniteville Library, First Floor

September 9^th-November 15^th

By Susie O’Connor

The Gregg-Graniteville Library presents “Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission” from September 9th to November 15th. The poster exhibition from the Smithsonian celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission and explores the birth and development of the American space program and the space race. On July 24, 1969, Apollo 11 met President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 challenge of “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” The poster exhibition explores what led the United States to accept this challenge and how the resulting 953,054-mile voyage to the moon and back was accomplished just eight years after the program was authorized. “Destination Moon” examines the mission and recognizes some of the more than 400,000 people employed in NASA programs who worked through the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of the 20 missions from 1961 to 1969 before Apollo 11.

Fifty years later, the Apollo program remains the benchmark for great national achievement. When Apollo 11 landed on the moon and humans first set foot on another celestial body, it gave humanity a new perspective from which to view the world. Using this poster exhibition, viewers will be able to look back at this historic mission, and hopefully envision the next generation of innovators, scientists, explorers, and astronauts.

The poster exhibition and related public programs are an opportunity for Gregg-Graniteville Library and Ruth Patrick Science Education Center (RPSEC) to highlight their work in sharing the many stories—local and national—of scientific discovery, technological innovation, and the American story. 

The Gregg-Graniteville library is a participant in the Federal Depository Library System (FDLP). A program that provides free local access to government information and promotes civic literacy through campus and community engagement and outreach.

USC Aiken’s Ruth Patrick Science Education Center (RPSEC) facilitates learning for elementary, middle, and high school students in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through hands-on learning experiences, while also hosting events including planetarium public shows for the community. The Ruth Patrick Center is home to the DuPont Planetarium containing a rooftop Observatory and Bechtel Telescope.

 “Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission” is made possible by the support of Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos, Joe Clark, Bruce R. McCaw Family Foundation, the Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, John and Susann Norton, and Gregory D. and Jennifer Walston Johnson. SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 65 years.

SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For exhibition descriptions and tour schedules, visit sites.si.edu.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks on the surface of the moon near the leg of the lunar module Eagle during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA).

Credit: Photo courtesy of NASA

Resources list highlighting library and campus resources:

For assistance with government documents at USC Aiken Gregg-Graniteville Library contact Susie O’Connor for assistance with government information at susano@usca.edu

https://library.usca.edu/govdocsusca

To learn more about the Dupont Planetarium

https://www.usca.edu/rpsec/departments/planetarium link or/QR Code depending on the context

To learn about the Dupont Planetarium’s Public shows on the USC Aiken campus

https://www.usca.edu/rpsec/departments/planetarium/public-shows link or/QR Code depending on the context

To learn more about the Observatory and Bechtel Telescope https://www.usca.edu/rpsec/departments/planetarium/observatory link or/QR Code depending on the context