Last month commemorated one of America’s greatest endeavors: the Apollo 11 mission. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, as a part of Apollo 11, became the first humans to ever walk on the moon. The launch was broadcasted on national television, with millions of people able to witness the monumental event.
Upon hearing Armstrong confirm their safe landing, NASA centers celebrated with immense joy. It was not just NASA centers rejoicing that day, but the city of San Diego as well. Ever since Apollo 11, San Diego has made critical and significant impacts in the aerospace industry.
The extensive timeline, beginning in 1955, outlines the progress San Diego has made in aerospace along with countless achievements. The impact continues to this day as the International Space Station intends to launch a spacecraft that includes life science experiments from UC San Diego and work from Aspen Neuroscience.
Looking back in history, San Diego has been responsible for many of the major advancements in the aerospace industry. For example, the first space crafts that were sent into orbit were developed and built in San Diego. Moreover, the Apollo spacecraft landed in San Diego when it came back from its moon endeavor, where it was modified to be sent out for travel again.
Acclaimed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan credit a portion of their success to the training and knowledge they received in San Diego. Looking into the future, the aerospace industry is convinced that the first person to reach Mars will be from San Diego.
There is no doubt that we will continue to see enormous strides made by the people and technology of the San Diego aerospace industry. Clearly, sending people to the moon was just the beginning of the thriving industry.
Photo by NASA on The Commons via Flickr
