Maria von Braun, wife of Dr. Wernher von Braun, died January 20, 2025, at her home in Alexandria, VA. The von Braun family lived in Huntsville, AL, from 1950 to 1970, when her husband led the team that designed and tested the Saturn V, the rocket that put American astronauts on the moon.

During that time, Dr. von Braun also established the U.S. Space & Rocket Center to showcase the American space program and Huntsville’s role in it. He helped secure the rockets for Rocket Park and conceived the idea for Space Camp® during a walk in the park with Executive Director Ed Buckbee. He felt there should be a math and science camp for students, sparking the idea for a program that has since graduated more than 1 million people from all over the world.