New Exhibit at the LBJ Library & Museum: To…

               New Exhibit at the LBJ Library & Museum:
         To the Moon: The American Space Program in the 1960s
                                 Opening on August 27, 2008

   Rockets, Rare Artifacts, Simulators, and a Multimedia Laser Show!

Media Contact:        Anne Wheeler
                      (512) 721-0216 anne.wheeler@nara.gov
Exhibit Dates:        August 27, 2008, until July 20, 2009
Hours:                9 a.m. ­ 5 p.m. daily
Admission:            Free
Parking:              Free
Publicity Photo link: http://bird.lbjlib.utexas.edu/

  (Austin) - To the Moon ­ could it be done? Would America be the first to land a man on the
moon and safely return him to earth?

Journey through America's pursuit of this dream and experience the mysteries and wonders of
outer space at the LBJ Library & Museum's new exhibit, To the Moon: The American Space
Program in the 1960s. The exhibit will open on President Johnson's 100th birthday, August 27,
2008, and close on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, July 20, 2009. The
exhibit also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the creation of NASA.

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Re-live the courage and daring of the early space pioneers who had "The Right Stuff."

Learn how, in less than ten years, this country overcame failures to accomplish one of the
greatest scientific triumphs in the history of mankind.

The 1960s was a time of cultural tumult, war, political and racial strife. But in the midst of this
seemingly endless barrage of turmoil, America had a common patriotic purpose ­ beat the
Russians in the space race. This mission brought people of all generations and political
persuasions together as the quest for the moon captivated the world's imagination.

As a Senator, Lyndon Johnson sponsored the legislation that created NASA in 1958. As Vice
President, Johnson was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to head the Space Council. In a
memo to Kennedy, Johnson recommended that "with a strong effort the United States could
conceivably be first" to achieve Kennedy's goal of "landing a man on the moon and returning
him safely to the earth" by the end of the decade. When he became President, Johnson ensured
that this goal remained on track, was funded, and that the mission was accomplished. This
became one of the most awe-inspiring and dramatic stories of our time. In 1973, the Manned
Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, was renamed the Johnson Space Center in honor of LBJ.

"We must look upon outer space as a challenge to the creative impulse of mankind. And if we
meet that challenge properly we may find the road to lasting peace truly lies in the stars.
                                      Senator Lyndon B. Johnson
                                      July 16, 1958

Highlights of To the Moon:

   ·   Full size replica of Mercury capsule Freedom 7

   ·   Actual Russian Vostok capsule that has flown in space

   ·   Original "Mission Control" Console (from the Apollo Program)

   ·   Full size replica of Sputnik

   ·   High tech multimedia laser show

   ·   Original publication of De La Terre a la Luna (From the Earth to the Moon) by Jules
       Verne (1866)

   ·   A recreation of Professor Robert Goddard's magnetic laboratory

   ·   Alan Shepard's flight suit, helmet, and carrying case

   ·   And more.........
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