Living legends, astronauts, engineers and other extraordinary guests gathered last Saturday night (March 16) for the 115th Explorers Club Annual Dinner in New York City. The event celebrated the pioneers of space exploration as the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing draws closer.
This upcoming summer, the first human footprints on the lunar surface will turn 50. The historic Apollo 11 mission captivated the world’s attention and imagination; millions watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin make their marks in the dusty regolith as Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit. This event not only celebrated the achievements of Apollo 11, but all of the missions of the Apollo Project and the incredible progress that has been made in spaceflight over the last 50 years. The event will gathered ten astronauts who flew on these courageous missions all together in the same room — and the conversations that they shared was historic in itself.
The Explorers Club Annual Dinner was held at Marriott Marquis in Times Square and four members and there partners of the Australia and New Zealand Chapter of The Explorers Club were there to witness this historic event.
In attendance was
Buzz Aldrin – Apollo 11
Michael Collins – Apollo 11
Walt Cunningham – Apollo 7
Charlie Duke – Apollo 16
Fred Haise – Apollo 13
Jim Lovell – Apollo 8 & 13
Harrison Schmitt – Apollo 17
Rusty Schweickart – Apollo 8
Tom Stafford – Apollo 10
Al Worden – Apollo 15
During the Event Explorers Medals were presented too
Kenneth Lacovara – The Explorers Club Medal
Michael Eliot Bart & the RCA Centennial Expedition Team – Citation of Merit
Jame McClintock – The Finn Ronne Memorial Award
Milbry C Polk – The Edward C Sweeney Memorial Medal
Ian R Mangiardi – The New Explorer Award
