NASA’s Apollo legacy touches down at Rowan University

An authentic piece of space history has landed in Glassboro. 

A ⅓-scale model of NASA’s Apollo lunar lander—once displayed at the Marshall Space Flight Center—is now permanently installed outside Rowan University’s Edelman Planetarium at Science Hall.

The model came to the Edelman Planetarium in 2024 from the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, as part of NASA's Artifact Program. The lander had been displayed at Marshall for decades and required significant repair work before being prepared for display in Glassboro, said Edelman Planetarium Director Amy Barraclough. 

The planetarium contracted with StoneDog Studios, a New Jersey-based, woman-owned design and fabrication shop, to prepare the model for the outdoor display. StoneDog spent five months cleaning and restoring the model to make it durable. A base was added to support the model's weight. 

After restoration, a nine-member crew from Rowan's Division of Facilities, Planning & Operations and two StoneDog fabricators assembled and installed the 800-pound model outside the planetarium.

The project was funded by Rowan University alumni and planetarium founders Ric and Jean Edelman. 

The lunar lander, along with “Luna,” Rowan’s Artemis Moon Tree, will be the centerpiece of the planetarium’s look at human spaceflight during an upcoming series about the Apollo missions, called Capcom Go. The planetarium program will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Nov. 29 through Dec. 20.   

“We look forward to sharing the story of human spaceflight, past and present, using this new exhibit for generations to come,” Barraclough said.

The Ric & Jean Edelman Planetarium at Rowan University features laser projection systems, a research observatory, amateur telescopes and hands-on activity toolkits. A resource for public outreach and astronomy education, the planetarium hosts regular public shows, observatory open houses and special programming. Private shows are available for schools, churches and scouting groups. 

A complete calendar of public events is available here.