Paging all space fans: An epic show is coming.
This month, it’ll be 50 years since Apollo 11 took the first humans (both Americans) to the moon. The District of Columbia will celebrate the nation’s pride by projecting a 363-foot Saturn V rocket onto the face of the Washington Monument.
The virtual rocket will appear on July 16, the anniversary of Apollo 11’s 1969 launch. For two hours each night, the iconic rocket will grace the sides of the national treasure.
But the celebration doesn’t stop there.
The rocket will be joined by an extravagant light show July 19 and 20. The 17-minute show will re-create the launch of Apollo 11 and tell the story of the first moon landing with full-motion projection mapping and archival footage.
There will also be a 40-foot-wide re-creation of the famous Kennedy Space Center countdown clock.
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum teamed up with the US Department of the Interior and 59 Productions to organize the event.
And there’s even more planned.
Through July 20, runners can participate in a virtual race to the moon. From July 18 through 20, people can attend the Apollo 50 Festival for exhibits, activities and speakers from NASA. And until this fall, you can visit 15 replica statues of Neil Armstrong’s iconic spacesuit in MLB ballparks across the country.
