USSRC Saturn/Apollo Reunions

Since 2004, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center has held an annual Saturn/Apollo Reunion. Initially held to held draw attention to the Saturn V restoration effort, it has proven popular and continues to this day.

The 2004 U.S. Space & Rocket Center Annual Report contained the following description of that first reunion:

Saturn/Apollo Reunion Draws Crowd

It was billed as "a reunion of the individuals and community responsible for putting mankind on the moon and fundraiser for the rocket that took us there." The first-ever Saturn/Apollo Reunion held Saturday, June 19, 2004, exceeded the hopes of all involved.

The Saturn V Special Events Committee had hoped to attract a crowd of about 500 and to raise awareness of the campaign while breaking even financially. As food ran low and seating scarce, it became evident that they had underestimated the appeal of such an event. With Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Dr. George Mueller, head of NASA's Manned Space Flight Office from 1969-1971, as headliners, the event drew a crowd of more than 600 and raised $11,755 for the Saturn V Restoration.

In addition to the funds raised for the project, the reunion set in motion a groundswell of support from NASA veterans. In the days and weeks that followed the event, heart-felt e-mails and letters of thanks poured in from those who worked on the Saturn V, expressing their gratitude not only for our efforts to restore the rocket but also for remembering their contributions to the space program in such a special way.

Prior to its cancellation by Barak Obama, the Saturn/Apollo reunions also featured speakers involved in the Ares program supporting Constellation.

At the 2009 Reunion, it was announced that the event would be renamed "Space Exploration Celebration" effective in 2010.