On July 16, 1969, the Huntsville-built Saturn V rocket powered the launch of Apollo 11, which would see American astronauts land on the surface of the Moon four days later.
For the 50th anniversary of this historic launch, Governor Kay Ivey will deliver an address Tuesday night in Huntsville at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
While North Alabama continues to be a national leader in the space industry, including NASA’s Artemis program (which will land the first woman on the surface of the Moon by 2024) and future expeditions to Mars and beyond, Yellowhammer State residents can be proud of the storied history that led to Huntsville’s nickname as “Rocket City, U.S.A.”
Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04), a staunch ally of the space sector, posted a chill-inducing video Tuesday morning honoring this legacy.
Watch:
Alabama’s Apollo Legacy. 50 years ago today, as the world was watching, Walter Cronkite reminded everyone of the important role Alabama played in getting us to the moon. @NASA_Marshall @RocketCenterUSA @whnt pic.twitter.com/ePYWCp3r9Y
— Rep. Robert Aderholt (@Robert_Aderholt) July 16, 2019
A replica of the Saturn V rocket can be seen driving into Huntsville on I-565.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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