Congratulations to all who made this year’s AsMA conference so successful and to all attendees who made it spectacular. These are exhilarating times in the world of aviation and exploration and discovery in general, especially given the excitement of the Artemis 2 lunar mission. With all of that in mind, this is a related message you will likely find intriguing.

There is a national coalition working on a project to establish a new official federal day of observance to celebrate the first time humans landed on the Moon. Lunar Landing Day will be celebrated every July 20th in honor of the Apollo 11 landing and the 410,000 people who all worked so hard to ensure the success of that mission. Coalition members think it is tragic that more attention is not devoted to the astonishing accomplishments of the Apollo program and all that NASA achieved in putting humans on the moon and returning them safely to earth. It clearly demonstrated what we can do as a society when we all pull together.  

We have the support of the Apollo-era Astronauts and Mission Control Flight Directors still living among us mortals. Beyond that, we have the support of thousands of people from all walks of life, all across the nation. We also have the endorsement of several aviation and space museums around the nation. A major facet of this endeavor is to promote STEM education. We ought to do more to inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists, astronauts, and explorers. 

We would love to add each of you reading this to the ever-expanding list of people and institutions around the nation who like the concept. Please check out the website and sign the petition to join us. There is no cost to do so.

A list of our “Top 10” recent accomplishments is shown below. More information is available on our website: www.lunarlandingday.net. Thank you in advance for your support. Please contact me if you have any questions about this.

—Robert “Bob” R. Slater, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.

Cell: (916) 204-5939

Email: [email protected]

TOP 10 KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE LUNAR LANDING DAY (LLD) CAMPAIGN:

1. Popularity: There is a long list of people from all walks of life who have pledged to turn the vision into reality for the new holiday. Social media campaigns continue to attract more supporters all the time. The new website has been updated to promote this further: lunarlandingday.net.
2. Moonwalkers: 12 humans walked on the Moon. Only 4 are still walking among us mortals. All 4 support the campaign: Buzz Aldrin, one of the first 2 humans to set foot on the lunar surface; Dave Scott, Commander of Apollo 15; Charlie Duke, who served as CapCom at the moment the Eagle landed and later became a moonwalker himself with John Young during the Apollo 16 mission; and Jack Schmitt, moonwalker and lunar module pilot for Apollo 17 and later U.S. Senator from New Mexico. We also have the support of the sons of Neil Armstrong, Rick and Mark Armstrong.
3. NASA: Many others who have worked at NASA in various capacities have added their names to the list of supporters: Fred Haise, who was a backup team member for Apollo 11, later flew the Apollo 13 mission, and was a test pilot for the very first glider landing of the Space Shuttle; Gene Kranz, Flight Director at the moment the Eagle landed; Gerry Griffin, one of the flight directors for Apollo 11 and many other missions; Milt Windler, Apollo 11 flight director; Fred Gregory, a former space shuttle commander and later Acting Director of all of NASA; Cady Coleman, veteran NASA astronaut and world explorer; and many other astronauts.
4. Legislation: Legislation to establish Lunar Landing Day as a new official legal day of observance is now being considered on Capitol Hill. We have a top-tier lobbyist working on this in Washington, DC.
5. Congress: Every one of the current 100 U.S. Senators has been contacted and sent customized personal messages. Several support the concept. All current members of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology have been contacted and sent individual messages. Many others have been contacted also.
6. Governors: Every one of the 55 U.S. Governors (50 states + 5 U.S. territories) has been contacted and sent individual, customized messages. Wyoming accepted the challenge and made it a state holiday in 2023. This year in Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs signed a Proclamation to honor the Apollo 11 landing.
7. States: Messages calling for action and support of the campaign have been sent to many other politicians at the local and state level, including County Boards of Supervisors, State Assemblies, and State Senates. Support for the concept continues to build. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors issued an Official Proclamation honoring Lunar Landing Day this year.
8. Alliances: Outreach to several museums, space clubs, and similar associations has resulted in good collaboration towards the ultimate goal of making Lunar Landing Day a new federal holiday. Supporters include: the San Diego Air and Space Museum; the American Space Museum in Titusville, FL; the Deke Slayton Space Museum in Sparta, WI; the Infinity Science Center in Pearlington, MS; the Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum in Gulfport, MS; the Museum of Science and Curiosity in Sacramento, CA; the Tulsa Air and Space Museum in Tulsa, OK; the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS; the USS Hornet—Sea, Air, & Space Museum in Alameda, CA; the Stafford Air & Space Museum in Weatherford, OK; the Moon Tree Foundation in Biloxi, MS; the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, OH; the International Women’s Aerospace Museum in Cleveland, OH; the Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA; the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island, NY; the Kentucky Science Center in Louisville, KY; the Aerospace Museum of California in Sacramento, CA; the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, TX; the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ; the Gus Grissom Center and Space Museum in Bonne Terre, MO; the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, OH; the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, AZ; the Seymour Planetarium and Springfield Museums in Springfield, MO; the Southeastern Pennsylvania Cold War Historical Society in Warminster, PA; the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Rosman, NC; the Association of Space Explorers—USA; the Ingram Planetarium at Sunset Beach, NC; the Museum of Coastal Carolina at Ocean Isle Beach, NC; the Explorers Club in New York, NY; the National Space Society in Washington, DC; the “Air Zoo” Aerospace and Science Center in Kalamazoo, MI; the Association of Science and Technology Centers in Washington, DC; the Grout Museum District in Waterloo, IA; the Sanford Museum and Planetarium in Cherokee, IA; the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, OH; and the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, AZ.
9. Schools: Several schools and educational institutions across the nation have also added their names to our list of supporters.
10. Unity: This campaign is about celebrating the efforts of all 410,000 people in all 50 states who worked diligently and tirelessly to make the lunar landing succeed. This new holiday will serve to unite the people in this nation and around the world who can all celebrate something positive together.