[Washington National Cathedral] Washington National Cathedral and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced plans today for a public memorial service for astronaut Neil Armstrong to be held at the Cathedral Thursday, September 13, at 10 am. The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of Washington, and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will join with other dignitaries in honoring the life of the first man to walk on the moon, who died August 25. The service will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed online at nasa.gov and nationalcathedral.org.

Dignitaries, community and political leaders, and members of the NASA family, including current and former astronauts will attend. A very limited number of seats will be made available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested in attending must contact Christine Peterson at christinepeterson@nasa.gov. Details regarding the service and participants will be released as plans are finalized.

News media wishing to cover the memorial service must RSVP by email to Meredith MacKenzie at meredith@rabinowitz-dorf.com by Tuesday, September 11, to receive credentials to cover this service. Space is limited.

Washington National Cathedral is an historic landmark symbolizing the role of faith in America, and its iconography tells the stories that have shaped the nation’s identity. Armstrong, along with fellow astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, presented the Cathedral with a moon rock brought back from their Apollo XI mission. The presentation took place in a service on July 21, 1974, commemorating the fifth anniversary of the first lunar landing. The iconic Space Window that would later display the sliver of lunar rock was also dedicated at that service.

On October 23, 1983, astronauts Collins and Capt. Frederick H. Hauck took part in a service to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of NASA at the Cathedral. The Cathedral was also the location of a memorial service on February 6, 2003, for the crew of Space Shuttle Columbia, who had died during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

To learn more about NASA, NASA TV, Armstrong and his career, visit www.nasa.gov.

To learn more about the Cathedral, visit www.nationalcathedral.org.