The command module that took humans to the moon for the first time is coming to Seattle.
The Apollo 11 module went to the moon in 1969. It's coming to Seattle's Museum of Flight in 2019 for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
Officials announced Wednesday that the capsule, named "Columbia," will go on tour for the first time in more than 40 years, visiting four cities around the country.
Doug King is president of the Museum of Flight in Seattle. He's thrilled to be able to display the capsule. He said it's an important piece of history that will speak to people thousands of years from now.
“When people write the story of our times, they probably won't write about who won the Super Bowl, or what the most popular song was, or even who won the most recent election. But they'll write that this is when humans first left the earth. And we're very excited about the opportunity to tell that story," King said.
But King said it's not just about looking back, it's also about the future potential of the people and companies in our region.
"I remember sitting, watching these things with my grandmother who was born in the 1800s, before there were cars. And now I'm going to be able to say to my grandson, 'What will you do in the next 50 years?'"
King said companies in the Seattle area are already showing themselves as big players in the quest for commercial space flight.
“This is almost a tipping point, where we’re going from a few astronauts went, and now all of the rest of us are going to be able to go,” King said.
The capsule is scheduled to arrive at Seattle's museum of flight in March of 2019.
It will also be displayed at museums in Houston, St. Louis and Pittsburgh on its tour.