WAPAKONETA — The Armstrong Air & Space Museum will be “launching” a brand-new exhibit featuring one-of-a-kind artifacts recently loaned and donated to the museum that directly relate to the Apollo 11 mission and Ohio astronaut Neil Armstrong.
The list of newly acquired historic items include Armstrong’s Apollo 11 Biological Isolation Garment (BIG), a fragment of Kapton foil taken from the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia after splashdown, and a piece of fabric from the Wright Brothers’ first airplane taken to the lunar surface by Armstrong.
The exhibit, titled “Apollo 11: to the Moon and Back,” will incorporate two items that were previously on display which include an American flag and emergency heel restraints that flew aboard the Apollo 11 mission as well.
“These artifacts make an excellent addition to the overall collection on display,” says Museum Curator Logan Rex. “Each of these objects allows us to better expand upon the fascinating and complex nature of Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 mission.”
The exhibit is set to officially open on Wednesday, July 14, during Wapakoneta’s Summer Moon Festival. The items will continue to be on display for an indefinite period, excluding Armstrong’s Apollo 11 Biological Isolation Garment, which is currently on a two-year loan from the Bicycle Museum of America in New Bremen.
“The first lunar landing is an event that is deeply cherished within world history,” says Dante Centuori, the museum’s executive director. “Having these artifacts that were so closely tied to this monumental occasion will allow guests to really appreciate and experience the Apollo 11 mission in a deeper way. We also want to recognize the people and groups that made this possible, they include Crown Equipment Corporation, the Bicycle Museum of America, Apollo 11 Frogman Mike Mallory, and the Armstrong Family.”
For more information on the upcoming exhibit or the Wapakoneta Summer Moon Festival, visit the Armstrong Air & Space Museum website at www.armstrongmuseum.org or follow the museum on social media.
