‘One small step …’

The Moon has always held a fascination for humanity.

On July 20, 1969, building on thousands of years of imagination, coupled with extraordinary resources and technologies, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon in the Lunar Module Eagle.?Armstrong and Aldrin were the first humans to step foot on the lunar surface. That event changed our understanding of the Moon and ourselves forever.

The Destination Moon Gallery, within the redeveloped National Air and Space Museum (NASM), enables visitors to explore the inspiring story of how humankind has, and is continuing to understand our nearest neighbor in space.

An exhibit highlight is undoubtedly the iconic spacesuit worn by Neil Armstrong on the Apollo 11 Mission. The suit was designed to allow full mobility and to be worn for up to 115 hours, providing a life sustaining and protective system. In 1971, NASA transferred the spacesuit to the National Air and Space Museum.

The spacesuit was deliberately situated in a prominent location within the gallery. It was important to enable visitors to see the suit from a number of viewpoints and to give visitors the chance to really get up close, observing the intricate details and marks on the suit’s surface.

To display this precious artifact safely and sustainably, NASM created a custom-made mannequin that allowed for constant airflow to preserve the suit’s fragile internal layers. Our team worked with NASM curators and conservators to design a showcase that was aesthetically appropriate for this hugely significant object whilst also incorporating a technical compartment for conservation equipment vital for the preservation of this historic object.

Through accompanying graphic interpretation, the hsd team sought to better contextualize the spacesuit, including a large-scale rendering of the famous photo of Buzz Aldrin (captured by Armstrong), as well as displaying an X-Ray scan of the suit (produced originally as part of the conservation process) on the rear of the case glass.

Paul Caygill, Exhibit Designer for Destination Moon, writes:

“It has been incredibly exciting to play a part in the redisplay of such an iconic, globally significant piece of space history…Working with the Smithsonian, the hsd team was part of a complex and detailed process to ensure world-leading conservation could be combined with innovative showcase technology, creating an evocative new display for visitors to the Museum to enjoy.”

Columbia Command Module

The Destination Moon Gallery also showcases the Command Module "Columbia", from the Apollo spacecraft.?This circled the moon with Michael Collins inside whilst Armstrong and Aldrin made their way to the moon’s surface in the landing craft. This module was the only part of the Apollo spacecraft that returned to the Earth.

Coordinating with the Smithsonian’s teams, hsd gave careful thought to the display of the Command Module.?The artifact is purposefully positioned on an angle to allow visitors to see inside the windows, as well as being elevated to enable the coloration on the underside, caused by exposure to heat when returning through the Earth’s atmosphere, to be visible. A large showcase was custom designed to meet the precise needs of the artifact, whilst enabling visitors to explore the Command Module from all angles, including from the mezzanine level above.

Image credit: Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum/Jim Preston and Haley Sharpe Design (last image).