The Astronaut Monument facts for kids
The Astronaut Monument is a special memorial in Húsavík, Iceland. It honors the brave astronauts from the Apollo program who trained in northern Iceland in 1965 and 1967. This training helped them prepare for their amazing journeys to the Moon.
The monument is located outside the Exploration Museum. It has the names of 32 Apollo astronauts. These astronauts went to Iceland to learn about geology, which is the study of rocks and the Earth. This knowledge was super important for their missions to the Moon.
Out of these 32 astronauts, 14 later flew to the Moon. Seven of them even walked on the Moon's surface and collected rock samples!
The monument itself is quite unique. It shows the names of the astronauts, along with the American and Icelandic flags. It also features the symbol of the Apollo program. On top, there are two steel globes placed on two basalt columns. These globes represent our Earth and the Moon.
The monument was officially revealed on July 15, 2015. It was unveiled by the grandchildren of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, who was the first person to walk on the Moon.
Contents
Apollo Astronauts Who Trained in Geology
The Astronaut Monument lists 32 Apollo astronauts. They all took part in geology training in Iceland. This training helped them understand the Moon's surface.
- William Anders
- Neil Armstrong
- Charles Bassett
- Alan Bean
- Vance D. Brand
- Gerald P. Carr
- Eugene Cernan
- Roger B. Chaffee
- Walter Cunningham
- Charles Duke
- Donn F. Eisele
- Joseph Engle
- Ronald Evans
- Owen Garriott
- Edward Gibson
- Fred Haise
- Joseph P. Kerwin
- Don L. Lind
- Jack R. Lousma
- Ken Mattingly
- Bruce McCandless
- Curt Michel
- Edgar Mitchell
- William Pogue
- Stuart Roosa
- Harrison Schmitt
- Russell Schweickart
- David Scott
- John L. Swigert
- Paul J. Weitz
- Clifton Williams
- Alfred Worden
Astronauts Who Explored the Moon's Surface
Seven of these trained astronauts actually landed on the Moon. They did important geology work and collected samples. These brave explorers were:
- Armstrong
- Bean
- Cernan
- Duke
- Mitchell
- Schmitt
- Scott
Astronauts Who Flew to the Moon (But Didn't Land)
Seven other astronauts from the list also flew to the Moon. However, they did not land on its surface. These astronauts were:
- Anders
- Evans
- Haise
- Mattingly
- Roosa
- Swigert
- Worden
More About Space and Geology
- Astronaut training
- Geology of the Moon
- Moon rocks
- Lunar soil
- Lunar Receiving Laboratory
- Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility
