posted 06-29-2018 11:00 AM               

First built in Kent by the Boeing Company in 1969, and travelling to the moon on Apollo Missions 15, 16, and 17, a Lunar Rover replica in a downtown park will foster community pride, honor our past, fuel our kids' imaginations and inspire us to imagine what's possible in the future.

posted 06-29-2018 11:04 AM               

The astronaut will soon be finished and be used to help raise funds for the lunar rover replica display.

"We'll include the astronaut as part of a display at accesso ShoWare Center to help continue our fundraising effort, and build community awareness about the amazing history made in Kent," said Michelle Wilmot, city economic development program manager, in an email.

Minnesota-based Cre8Play is making the astronaut and will produce the lunar rover.

The exterior of the astronaut is made out of fiber reinforced concrete. The core of it is 3D printed out of a foam product. The lunar rover will be mostly metal.

Nearly $13,000 has been raised so far with a goal of $125,000 for the lunar rover replica display, Wilmot said. That figure doesn't include a $10,000 commitment by the Kent Lions Club or the corporate match offered by Boeing to its employees and retirees who contribute.

posted 11-07-2019 10:41 AM               

Lunar Rover unveiling

Kent and surrounding community residents are invited to the unveiling of Kent Valley's Next Lunar Rover on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, in celebration of the region's role in the historic Apollo program.

Michael Lombardi, Boeing's corporate historian, will join retired NASA astronaut Captain Gregory "Ray J" Johnson and former members of Boeing's Lunar Roving Vehicle team as special guests.

The main event will be the unveiling of an interactive Lunar Rover replica which will eventually "land" at a park in the heart of Kent's downtown.

The three Lunar Roving Vehicles used by NASA during its historic Apollo Missions 15, 16, and 17 were designed, built, and tested by Boeing at its Kent Space Center. Still considered to be the most imaginative wheeled vehicle design in history, the Lunar Rovers made possible the greatest crewed explorations of the Moon. Three Lunar Rovers remain on the Moon today, and were recently designated as historical landmarks by the King County Landmarks Commission.

The City of Kent and Kent Downtown Partnership are leading a capital campaign to raise $1.25 million to renovate Kherson Park, the Lunar Rover's next "landing spot," located at 307 West Gowe Street. This space-themed park will celebrate Kent's role in aerospace innovation while inspiring today's youth to pursue out-of-this-world opportunities. Construction is expected to begin in 2020.

posted 11-06-2020 12:38 PM               

Lunar Rovers on the Moon Become Washington's Newest State Historic Landmarks

These vehicles are still on the moon today inspiring today's future workforce.

Greater Seattle Partners, the city of Kent and the Kent Downtown Partnership in King County, Washington, announced the historic landmark designation for the Lunar Roving Vehicles built at the Boeing Space Center and used in Apollo Missions 15, 16 and 17 in 1971 and 1972. These Lunar Rovers were the first "moon buggies" to allow humans to explore more of the Moon's surface.

A virtual public hearing in front of the Washington State Advisory Council on Historic Preservation took place on Friday, October 23 via Zoom. Washington became the third state in the country, behind California and New Mexico, to list lunar objects in its historic register.

"Kent Valley is rooted in rich aerospace history due to Boeing's early presence and a world-class, specialized workforce that continues to develop innovative technology," said Michael Lombardi, historian, Boeing. "This region's impact on space exploration has global significance, and we're pleased to honor the achievements of these Lunar Roving Vehicles and their brilliant engineers."

This year marks the 51st anniversary of Boeing winning the NASA contract to develop these Lunar Roving Vehicles. In an engineering feat, Boeing built these vehicles in only 17 months for six astronauts to safely explore the Moon's landscape. The most successful missions to the Moon were made possible through the Lunar Roving Vehicles.

"This was an historic opportunity to highlight a world-class innovation from Kent. These vehicles are still on the moon today; this recognition will share a piece of Kent with the region, state and even the world," said Kent Mayor Dana Ralph.

Having the Lunar Rovers listed on our state's register of historic places is a way to not only profile our region's role in NASA's historic Apollo Program, but also its continuing role in space exploration to inspire today's future workforce. These historic contributions paved the way for future space exploration and technology.

posted 11-06-2020 12:41 PM               

We're celebrating the designation of the Kent-built lunar rover on the Moon as a state historic landmark with free swag! Come out to the Kent Station Lunar Rover at the old Pac Sun building tomorrow for free City of Kent Lunar Rover face masks.

posted 06-15-2023 09:05 PM               

The final installation includes the lunar roving vehicle, an astronaut (pictured above), a lunar module slide and a mission control console.

From the Seattle Times:

Tucked between an office building, a medical clinic, a spa and a bookstore, the park's play area includes a realistic replica of the lunar rover that Apollo program astronauts used on the moon in the early 1970s and a scaled-down, play-structure version of the lunar lander that touched down on the moon six times between 1968 and 1972. Kids can climb on both, and slide off the lander.

There's also a mission control panel with buttons to push, dials to twist, switches to flip, a memory game to play and an intercom that connects to the lunar lander. Bouncy spots on the ground mimic the absence of gravity on the moon, and part of the park is devoted to grass and tables for resting and picnicking. The rover and lander look like they could be in a museum, but they don't have the "no touching" rules that kids hate.