A temporary case has been set up in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar at the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center as part of the museum’s tribute to Neil Armstrong’s life. The extravehicular gloves and visor that Armstrong wore when he first stepped on the surface of the moon July 20, 1969, are now on display to the public. They were among the most visible parts of his Apollo 11 spacesuit and were designed specifically to deal with the hazards of working on the lunar surface. The gloves have blue silicone fingertips and stainless-steel fabric that wraps the hands with a long white gauntlet, with instructions printed on the left one. The visor provided the protection astronauts needed to survive in the absence of the sun-filtering effects of the Earth’s atmosphere. These objects were transferred to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum from NASA in 1971.
The gloves and visor were placed on display on Tuesday afternoon and will remain in public view until after the memorial service for Armstrong at the National Cathedral in Washington Sept. 13. – www.airandspace.si.edu/udvarhazy