Community Corner
Lunar Landing Anniversary Marked With 'Space Race' Program At The Fuge
Saturday marks the 55th anniversary when Apollo 11 astronauts walked on the Moon. Warminster was where their training took place.
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WARMINSTER TOWNSHIP, PA —They called it the "Space Race."
On Saturday, "The Space Race in Southeastern Pennsylvania" will celebrate the aerospace heritage in the Philadelphia region by highlighting early U.S. manned spaceflight history in Bucks County's backyard.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Cold War Historical Society will sponsor “The Space Race in Southeastern Pennsylvania —A Celebration of Aerospace Heritage in the Greater Philadelphia Region” from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Fuge at 780 Falcon Circle.
Saturday also marks the 55th anniversary of the first lunar landing (July 20, 1969). All three Apollo 11 Astronauts —Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were trained at The Fuge.
The Fuge houses the world’s most powerful human centrifuge, known as the “Johnsville Centrifuge.”
It was built, owned, and managed by the U.S. Navy and was used for research and training of military and astronaut personnel, said Eleanor A. O’Rangers, president of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Cold War Historical Society.
Today, The Fuge is a premier events center in Bucks County, located on the site of the former Naval Air Development Center, which operated for 50 years as a Research and Development Center of Excellence for the Navy and other branches of the military.
From the late 1950s through the mid-1960s, NASA used the Johnsville Centrifuge for the acceleration (G force) training for X-15 pilots as well as Project Mercury, Project Gemini (New Nine) and 14 Project Apollo astronauts in preparation for manned spaceflight.
"The Southeastern Pennsylvania Cold War Historical Society is thrilled to sponsor this commemorative event and is grateful to The Fuge for opening its doors for us on this special day," O’Rangers said. "We believe that it is important to preserve local history and to recognize and to thank those who have served our country during the Cold War and Space Race with distinction. We are excited to welcome the public and our special guests to our celebratory event."
August also marks the 65th anniversary (August 1959) of Project Mercury Astronaut training starting on the Johnsville Centrifuge. Project Mercury was the first U.S. manned spaceflight program and consisted of 7 astronauts: Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, Scott Carpenter, John Glenn, Wally Schirra, Deke Slayton, and Gordon Cooper.
As a premier training facility for NASA during the early days of manned spaceflight, the Johnsville Centrifuge played a critical role in preparing U.S. Astronauts to help to win the "Space Race."
The greater Philadelphia region is also notable for a rich aerospace heritage beyond the
Space Race. Join us on July 20, 2024, to learn more about this unique history!
The event is free and open to the public. Sign up to attend the event at the organization’s Eventbrite Page: Space Race in Southeastern PA Celebratory Event July 20.
The event takes place Saturday from 1-3 p.m. at The Fuge and features facility tours, displays, and a meet and greet with special guests from 3-5 p.m.
The main program includes remarks on the role of Warminster in helping to win the Space Race, the accomplishments of the former Naval Air Development Center (where the Johnsville Centrifuge was located), and a keynote presentation by Danny Parker, spaceflight historian, who is writing a new biography on Project Mercury Astronaut, Scott Carpenter (who trained at Johnsville.)
Special guests include: Kris Stoever, Scott Carpenter’s daughter; Robert Voas, PhD, who assisted in the selection and training of Project Mercury Astronauts, and Nancy Lowe, Project Mercury
Astronaut secretary.
Light fare and drinks will be available for purchase during the event.
About the Southeastern Pennsylvania Cold War Historical Society
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Cold War Historical Society is a 501c(3) organization that was founded in 2010 and is dedicated to preserving the contributions of current and former residents of southeastern Pennsylvania toward protecting the United States during the Cold War.
To learn more, visit www.ColdWarHistory.org, or email at mail@ColdWarHistory.org, or
call us at 917-816-7547.
About The Fuge
The Fuge is an 11,000-square-foot circular venue featuring 24-foot walls draped in elegant, light-catching textiles, state-of-the-art customizable lighting, two 38-foot movie screens, and the most high-tech audio available.
The “star attraction” of The Fuge is the Johnsville Centrifuge, the largest and most powerful centrifuge ever built. Developed by the U.S. Navy in 1949 to simulate gravitational forces experienced by pilots during flight, the 180-ton centrifuge helped prepare all of America’s early astronauts for their missions into space.
To learn more, visit www.RentTheFuge.com, email at info@rentthefuge.com, or call
215-589-0611.
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