Back in the late 1960s I was incarcerated in a ridiculous and oppressive public school in south London. I would use any excuse to stay home, often feigning illness in order to avoid another day of random brutality at the hands of our drunken headmaster and his surly henchmen. So, imagine my delight when my parents agreed to let me stay home to watch all of the moon landings. Those were great times all around. Actual, real spaceships and no school; what an unforgettable combo!

The mighty Saturn V booster lifts off from Cape Kennedy at the beginning of the Apollo 11 mission. Photograph by NASA/Courtesy nasaimages.org

Now, many years on, and many miles away, I live in Tucson, Arizona which is also home to the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. LPL was intimately involved with the Apollo missions and the moon landings. So, what better place to rendezvous for the anniversary of those first marvelous footprints on the lunar surface? On Saturday, July 18 the LPL will host a celebration of humanity’s greatest adventure in the Kuiper Space Sciences Building on the University of Arizona campus.

The documentary film In the Mountains of the Moon will be shown; senior research specialist James V. Scotti and professor emeritus Robert G. Strom will be giving lectures. I’ll be there too with a special meteorite exhibit. Imagine my delight when Aerolite Meteorites was invited to participate in this historic Apollo 11 anniversary event, and some of the brilliant people who helped take us to the Moon.

See you there, and don’t forget to bring your space helmet.