Ridgewood NJ, what do Neil Armstrong, tortoises, and jelly beans have in common? Why, they’ve all been to space, of course. President Ronald Reagan was known for being a connoisseur of the chewy candy, so much so that he provided the astronauts aboard the Challenger shuttle with a bag full of them in 1983 — a gift that resulted in charming footage of them tossing the jelly beans in zero gravity before happily eating them. Reagan was also known to break the ice at high-level meetings by passing around jelly beans, even commenting that “you can tell a lot about a fella’s character by whether he picks out all of one color or just grabs a handful.”
Ridgewood NJ, legendary astronaut and former Grand Marshall of the Ridgewood 4th of July Parade Buzz Aldrin celebrated his 93rd birthday by marrying his longtime girlfriend Anca Faur, 63. Aldrin, who was the second person to walk on the Moon after Neil Armstrong, shared the exciting news on Twitter, revealing that the lovebirds got hitched in an intimate ceremony in Los Angeles, Calif.
After the success of La La Land, Damien Chazelle continues to ‘shoot for the moon.’ The Princeton native Oscar winning director will reunite with Ryan Gosling for First Man. Gosling plays astronaut Neil Armstrong. The movie now is slated to debut in October 2018.
The Apollo 11 crew from left to right: Neil Armstrong, Commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and , Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot.
Kennedy Space Center Celebrates the Apollo 11 Lunar Landings 45th Anniversary
Celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 2014, at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Guests visiting the Visitor Complex on this historic day receive a collectible pin commemorating this memorable event.
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended the ladder of their lunar lander and become the first humans to step onto the surface of the moon. This anniversary of landing on the moon celebrates one of the greatest achievements of the modern age.
Apollo 45th Anniversary Schedule
Throughout the day guests can explore the Apollo/Saturn V Center, a highlight of the daily bus tour to Kennedy Space Center, the world’s leading active spaceflight facility. At the Apollo/Saturn V Center, view actual moon dust on Alan Shepard’s lunar suit, touch a moon rock and feel the space race come alive while standing under the largest rocket ever flown, the mighty Saturn V.
1 – 2 pm: Be part of a Meet and Greet/photo opportunity with Apollo 11 capsule communicator (CAPCOM) and space shuttle astronaut Bruce McCandless II in Space Shuttle Atlantis℠ by the Hubble Space Telescope Exhibit.
4 pm: Relive the Apollo 11 moon landing during a special commemorative video presentation at the Astronaut Encounter Theater. Hear firsthand what it was like for veteran NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless II to communicate with the Apollo 11 crew as they made their iconic step in history. Additionally, astronaut Jack Lousma relates his experiences with the Apollo program. Be part of history at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex 45 years later at this special presentation which is set to coincide with the exact time of the moon landing at 4:17 pm EDT.
