Local monument ready for dedication

Titusville is ready to tip its hat again to the space workers and astronauts who made the moon landings possible.

A string of three monuments to the Apollo program is in place with the dedication next week of a giant steel A adorned with a pair of orbs representing Earth and the moon. They sit along a riverfront walk featuring monuments to the Mercury and Gemini programs that were dedicated in the mid-1990s.

The monuments are in a courtyard featuring bronze panels depicting the story of the Apollo program, as well as handprints or sculpted profiles of every Apollo astronaut.

You can check them out now as construction nears completion. But on Friday, July 17, you could join space workers, Apollo astronauts and community leaders at a dedication followed by what could be one of the largest reunions ever of the families who made the moon shots possible.

Charlie Mars, president of the Space Walk of Fame Museum, is coordinating the final touches. The effort is a testament to the vision of Mars and other people who wanted something that honored everyone involved in the Apollo project. In doing so, they've helped carve out what may be the best place in the world to watch launches of shuttles and -- someday -- whatever replaces the shuttles.

The July 17 dedication in Titusville starts around 10 a.m. The reunion follows at noon. You can find out more at the museum's Web site, spacewalkoffame.com, or by calling 264-0434.

The Titusville event is far from the only big party coming up. In fact, next week's calendar is packed with them. It's kicked off appropriately by a planned shuttle launch Saturday night.

On Wednesday, July 15, a day before the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch, at least nine of the Apollo astronauts, including Buzz Aldrin, will host an exclusive dinner to raise money for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The $1,000-a-plate function is for no more than 25 guests, who will get VIP access to the official celebration the next day at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. You can find out more about that at astronautscholarship.org. The money raised benefits scholarships for college students.

The rest of the week will feature events elsewhere. You can catch those on NASA TV or here on our space blog. The Washington events include a lecture at 8 p.m. July 19 featuring the Apollo 11 astronauts at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the official NASA anniversary gala at 7 p.m. July 20, also at the space museum.