posted 09-15-2020 12:04 PM               

John Bergstrom, chairman and CEO of Bergstrom Automotive, commissioned the work in 2018, about a year before the 50th anniversary of the astronauts' historic lunar landing aboard Apollo 11.

Bergstrom Automotive donated the sculpture to the airport.

When airport director Abe Weber asked John Bergstrom for something for the property's future roundabout, Bergstrom chose the astronauts to inspire pride in America and the accomplishment of putting men on the moon.

"People dreamed about going to the moon for 1,000 years and we did it," he said. "If I could send a message with this sculpture, it would be to the young boys and girls in America that anything is possible. You can do anything if you get an education."

The sculpture is in the center of the airport's roundabout on Challenger Drive.

The bronze astronauts were created by sculptors George and Mark Lundeen of Loveland, Colorado.