Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, featuring a 363-foot Saturn V rocket projected on the east face of the Washington Monument and a special “Apollo 50: Go for the Moon” show. This presentation conceived and commissioned by the National Air and Space Museum, and is made possible through a partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior and 59 Productions.
On July 16, 17, and 18 the projection will be live from 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm.
It all builds up to July 19 and 20, when we will present “Apollo 50: Go for the Moon,” a 17-minute show that will combine full-motion projection mapping artwork and archival footage to recreate the launch of Apollo 11 and tell the story of the first Moon landing. The show will unfold on the face of the Washington Monument and supporting screens, including a 40-foot-wide recreation of the famous Kennedy Space Center countdown clock.
The free show will run at 9:30 pm, 10:30 pm, and 11:30 pm on Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20.
Experience “Apollo 50: Go for the Moon” from viewing areas on the National Mall in front of the Smithsonian Castle between 9th and 12th Streets.
Apollo 50: Go for the Moon was commissioned by the National Air and Space Museum and created by 59 Productions, a multi-award-winning company of artists, architects, designers and technologists offering world-leading expertise in design for stage and live events, architectural projection-mapping to exhibition design, VR experiences, and technical consultancy.
Created in 2006 and led by directors Leo Warner, Mark Grimmer, Lysander Ashton, Richard Slaney and Anna Jameson, 59 Productions created the video design of the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the design and creative direction of the record-breaking “David Bowie is” exhibition, and the projection and video design of the National Theatre stage production “War Horse,” which has reached audiences of more than 7 million people in 11 countries. The company received a Tony Award in 2015 and an Olivier Award in 2018 for the video design of Christopher Wheeldon’s celebrated stage adaptation of An American in Paris which played on Broadway and in the West End. “Apollo 50: Go for the Moon” is directed by Richard Slaney, with music by Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Beal.
