The Astronauts Memorial "Space Mirror" -

In essence, the design for the Astronauts Memorial is not a "design" at all, but rather a view of the astronauts' world: the sky and beyond. At this level, in fact, the memorial is not a "memorial" in the traditional sense either, but a window onto the experiences of the astronauts within this world. The visitor is offered a sense of the astronauts' mission - the mission to exist in this ethereal realm and comes to feel the awe that such a mission must inspire, to understand its real significance. That is, finally, to come to feel the astronauts' own yearning to be at home there, in space, as active citizens of the universe.

Within this context, then, the "design" for the "memorial" is simply the creation of a home in these heavens for the memories of the fallen astronauts. As the astronauts were sent heavenward - emissaries for humanity and its highest technological achievements - so in the memorial their names are places into these heavens for humanity by this same technology. The visible "hardware" of the design is the means for emblazoning the names of the fallen astronauts against the sky - creating, by this juxtaposition itself, a true and proper memorial.

-Holt Hinshaw Pfau Jones

Designer of the Astronauts Memorial

The Space Mirror Memorial

Located at The Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, the Astronaut’s Memorial “Space Mirror” is a unique blend of art and science and a fitting tribute to the astronauts being honored. The Space Mirror Memorial, designated as a national memorial by Congress and President George Bush (H.J. Res. 214), was dedicated in 1991 by Vice President Dan Quayle.. The design of the Space Mirror is the result of a national architectural competition which drew entries from more than 750 architects. Only the Vietnam Veterans Memorial attracted more design concepts.

The Space Mirror is a 42.5 foot tall by 50 foot wide memorial constructed out of Steel and mirror-finished granite with the names of the 25 astronauts cut through its surface. The names are illuminated 24 hours a day by weather proof LED lighting. As you look up at the names carved into the mirror polished granite on the memorial you will lose track of the monument itself as you see the names floating in the reflection of the sky.

The Astronauts Memorial was designed by Holt, Hinshaw, Pfau, and Jones. A San Francisco architecture firm. Their submissions was one of the 756 designs submitted to the design competition hosted by The Astronauts Memorial Foundation in 1987.

The $7.8 million dollar project sits quietly next to a lagoon as a part of The Astronauts Memorial Foundation property along with The Center For Space Education located at The Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex and is open 365 days a year to visit.

Funding for the memorial was provided in large part by the successful sale of the Challenger license plate in the State of Florida.

The Competition

In 1987 The Astronauts Memorial Foundation conducted a national design competition to find the design of the Space Mirror. Registrants submitted 756 designs to the competition making this the largest such competition since the Vietnam Veterans Memorial competition.