Astronaut Monument facts for kids

Neil Armstrong's grandchildren unveil the Astronaut Monument on July 15, 2015.

The Astronaut Monument is a special memorial located in Húsavík, Iceland. It celebrates the Apollo astronauts who trained in northern Iceland during 1965 and 1967. This training was very important for their missions to the Moon. The monument stands outside the Exploration Museum and lists the names of 32 Apollo astronauts. These astronauts went to Iceland to learn about geology, which is the study of rocks and the Earth's surface. This knowledge was key for their trips to the Moon.

Many of these trained astronauts later flew to the Moon. Seven of them even walked on the lunar surface and collected rock samples. The monument itself features the names of the astronauts, the American and Icelandic flags, and the symbol of the Apollo program. It also has two steel globes on top of two basalt columns. These globes represent our Earth and the Moon. The monument was officially revealed on July 15, 2015. The grandchildren of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong helped unveil it.

Apollo Astronauts Who Trained in Iceland

Thirty-two Apollo astronauts are honored on the monument. They all took part in the geology training in Iceland. This training helped them prepare for their lunar missions.

Seven of these astronauts performed geological research and collected samples while on the Moon. These brave explorers were Armstrong, Bean, Cernan, Duke, Mitchell, Schmitt, and Scott. Another seven astronauts flew to the Moon but did not land on its surface. They were Anders, Evans, Haise, Mattingly, Roosa, Swigert, and Worden.

See also

• Astronaut training
• Geology of the Moon
  • Moon rocks
  • Lunar soil