Rocket Day for Apollo 11

Rocket Day commemorates Apollo 11 MAXWELL AFB, Ala. - Fifty years ago, the Saturn V rocket carrying the Lunar Module “Eagle” launched Apollo 11 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its way to putting American astronauts on the moon. In an effort to commemorate that achievement, the Air Force’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, City of Montgomery, Civil Air Patrol and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center of Huntsville joined forces for the River Region Rocket Day on July 16 at River Front Stadium in Montgomery. The event was a mass-coordinated launch of 200 rockets in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. AFJROTC and CAP are two of the AF’s largest youth education and outreach programs. “The beginning starts right here,” said Lt. Gen. Anthony Cotton, Air University commander at Maxwell AFB. “We need to make sure that this is not an ending, but a beginning of an incredible journey that we have as American citizens and to continue to make sure that we are No. 1 in air, space and cyberspace.” (Source: Air University 07/19/19) The Saturn V rocket was developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in north Alabama. There are 84 JROTC units in Mississippi: 51 Army, 15 Air Force, 12 Navy and six Marine Corps units.