Some of the most distinct icons at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, home of Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, are the rockets towering over the campus. These rockets have been on display at the facility since the beginning of Space Camp in 1982. The largest rocket is the Saturn V model, a replica of which is on the west side of campus and an actual Saturn V rocket lays on its side inside the Davidson Center for Space Exploration.
These larger than life exhibits commemorate the efforts of the explorers of the Apollo era, and mark a great time in space history that will help advance us to our next chapter. Not only are they an icon for Huntsville and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, but they stand as one of the first things you see when arriving at Space Camp.
The restorations were done through a combined effort of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the community, and generous donors to the Rocket Protector fund. During a campaign to “Revive the Saturn V” in 2019, donors raised funds to restore the Saturn V icon back to its original state. While the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is a Smithsonian affiliate and the visitor center for Marshall Space Flight Center, we do not receive any federal funding for artifact preservation.
After completing the Saturn V revitalization project in time for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center has now started work on preserving the Saturn I rocket that stands in the courtyard area and future plans include restoring the Rocket Park garden. Restorations to the rockets will ensure that they are there for visitors to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center and future Space Camp trainees for years to come.
Share your favorite pictures you’ve taken of the rockets during your time at Space Camp in our private Facebook group just for Space Camp Alumni!
