Museum’s Living Ship Series Commemorates Recovery of Apollo 11 and 12 Lunar Missions

 Celebrate the 47^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Splashdown and relive the heyday of the U.S. space program during the “The Dreams that Built Apollo” Living Ship Day event aboard the USS Hornet on July 16.

Join rocket enthusiast and private aviator Faride Khalaf, as he explores the legacy of the Hornet’s role in the Apollo recovery. Returning the most complex spacecraft ever devised along with its gallant crew was a job to be accomplished by a great many. From those who designed and built the hardware to those who piloted the machine, nearly a half a million men and women contributed their shear toil to realize the dream that was the Apollo program. We rose from sea level to a record altitude of nearly a quarter of a million miles to visit the closest world and Earth partner, Luna. To complete the most critical phase of Apollo we had to return our astronauts safely back to sea level. Each recovery of an Apollo Command Module was a well-planned and executed US NAVY mission of rescue at sea followed by the delicate maritime salvage and recovery effort. This is the story of that same “small step” onboard the USS Hornet.

Faride began his aviation career as a skydiver in 1982. He has worked as a General Aircraft Mechanic since 1986, and has been a private pilot for over 25 years. Faride is also a certified telescope operator and amateur astronomer. He is also the proud owner of a 1947 Cessna 120 airplane and of course, an all-around space enthusiast!

The Hornet played a vital role in the Apollo 11 and 12 lunar missions having recovered the astronauts upon returning from their lunar missions. The astronauts also spent several days in quarantine aboard the aircraft carrier. The Hornet is the home of the largest collection of Apollo mission artifacts on the West Coast.

Living Ship Day demonstrations are held on the third Saturday of most months, and includes a performance by The Hornet Band from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Normal museum hours and admission prices apply. Ample free parking is available across from the pier. The USS Hornet Museum is located at 707 W. Hornet Ave, Pier 3 in Alameda.