SUPER: APOLLO MISSION EXHIBIT Rockefeller Center




Initials



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Background: AP48--ASTRONAUTS
JUST DAYS BEFORE ASTRONAUTS SET FOOT ON THE MOON'S SURFACE IN THE APOLLO MISSION, FOUR PIONEER ASTRONAUTS TODAY (FRI) PREDICTED A SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT AND EVENTUAL TRAVEL BEYOND THE MOON TO OTHER PLANETS.

"WITH THE DEDICATION THIS COUNTRY HAS EXHIBITED THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN'T DO," SAID GENE CERNAN, WHO WAS ABOARD THE APOLLO 10.. "VENUS IS OUT THERE. MARS IS OUT HERE. WE'VE GOT THE WHOLE UNIVERSE."
THE ASTRONAUTS--CERNAN, WALTER CUNNINGHAM, AND NAVY CMDRS. JOHN YOUNG AND TOM STAFFORD--WERE PRESENT AT THE OPENING OF THE EXHIBIT "APOLLO: MAN TO THE MOON," PRESENTED BY LIFE MAGAZINE AND THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION. OUTSIDE THE TIME AND LIFE BUILDING AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER.

THE ASTRONAUTS POSED FOR PICTURES, SIGNED AUTOGRAPHS AND WERE INTERVIEWED BY NEWSMEN WHO CROWDED INTO THE HUGH EXHIBIT OF SPACE HARDWARE.

AP52--ASTRONAUTS (2)
"THE CHANCES OF A SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT ARE VERY GOOD," SAID STAFFORD, WHO COMMANDED THE APOLLO 10, "BUT SOMETHING CAN ALWAYS HAPPEN. ITS JUST LIKE DRIVING A CAR. SOMETHING CAN GO WRONG. BUT THE HARDWARE IS BEAUTIFUL."
STAFFORD SAID HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER FLIGHT IN THE FUTURE, POSSIBLE EVEN TO ANOTHER PLANET.

"IT'S GONNA BE SEVERAL YEARS AWAY," HE SAID. "BUT IF I'M IN GOOD HEALTH, WHY NOT?"
STAFFORD SAID HE HAD NO REGRETS THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ON THE MOON FLIGHT--"IT'S BEEN A TEAM EFFORT. YOU HAVE TO TAKE EVERYTHING A STEP AT A TIME."