The Space Window in Washington National Cathedral: Moon Rock in Stained Glass

Summary: The Space Window in the Washington National Cathedral commemorates Apollo 11's moon landing and moon walk with a slice of moon rock in stained glass.

The Space Window, with moon rock (upper center), south nave, Warren Bay; Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, 14:16:41: Tim Evenson, CC BY SA 2.0 Generic, via Flickr

Washington National Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, decorates the impressive landscape of Washington, D.C., federal capital of the United States, as a Neo-Gothic structure reminiscent of English Gothic architecture of the late 14th century.

Built on Mount Saint Albans, commandingly high ground at 400 feet (120 meters) above sea level, the Cathedral stands as the highest structure in the capital city.

The cathedral's construction was authorized Jan. 6, 1893, by a charter granted to the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation by the U.S. Congress. Construction began Sept. 29, 1907, with the laying of the foundation stone during the second term of 26th U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Construction continued for 83 years. The cathedral was finished Sept. 29, 1990, with the placement of the capstone atop the St. Paul Tower during the term of 41st U.S. President George H.W. Bush.

Carvings, statuary and other decorative work comprise ongoing projects for embellishing the Cathedral.

The Cathedral's more than 200 stained glass windows honor Christian themes, reflective of the structure's roots in the Episcopal Church of the United States, as well as national events and figures. The Scientists and Technicians Window, popularly known as The Space Window, commemorates the momentous events of the moon landing July 20, 1969, by Apollo 11 and the pioneer moon walk July 21, 1969, by astronaut Neil Armstrong. The Space Window is located in the Warren Bay in the Cathedral's south nave, just west of the tomb of 28th U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.

American designer, artist and stained glass artist Rodney Marshall Winfield (-Dec. 13, 2017) created Washington National Cathedral's Space Window; undated portrait of Rodney Winfield, Maryville University Archives: CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, via Wikimedia Commons

Rodney M. Winfield designed the space-themed stained glass window. Born in New York City in 1925, Rodney studied at Cooper Union School of Art. In his twenties, he migrated southwestward to St. Louis, Missouri. There he honed his career in liturgical and fine art as a designer for Emil Frei Stained Glass Company and as Professor of Art at Maryville University.

Rodney's design symbolizes the microcosm of humans, by way of a manned spaceship, in the macrocosm of space, symbolized by planets and stars. For his design and color palette, Rodney referred to photographs from the Apollo 11 mission. Planets and stars cast orange, red and white sparkles against a dramatic backdrop of deep blue and green.

The Space Window was dedicated Sunday, July 21, 1974, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Apollo 11's lunar landing. All three astronauts -- moon walkers Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Neil Armstrong as well as command spacecraft pilot Michael Collins -- participated in the dedication and presented a unique gift: a slice of 3.6 billion-year-old lunar rock from the Sea of Tranquility (Mare Tranquillitatis).

The slice of the moon, 2.5 inches in diameter, comes from the center section of Lunar Sample 10057. The basaltic rock, weighing 7.18 grams, contains pyroxferroite, one of the trio of minerals, along with armalcolite and tranquillityite, discovered on the moon.

The lunar slice now reposes in the center of the window's upper dark sphere. Two pieces of tempered glass, filled with nitrogen to prevent deterioration and encircled by a stainless steel band, shelter the priceless symbol of human achievement in extreme exploration.

Washington National Cathedral is located in the capital city's northwestern quadrant, at the intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues. The Washington Monument lies about 4 miles to the southeast. The National Zoo, home of giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, is housed about 1.5 miles to the east of the Cathedral.

Contact Washington National Cathedral

address: 3101 Wisconsin Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016

email: info@cathedral.org

fax: (202) 364-6600

telephone: (202) 537-6200

The Space Window was dedicated in Washington National Cathedral Sunday, July 21, 1974, in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of Apollo 11's lunar landing: Pgmark at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

The Space Window, with moon rock (upper center), south nave, Warren Bay; Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, 14:16:41: Tim Evenson, CC BY SA 2.0 Generic, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/23165290@N00/6623010807/

American designer, artist and stained glass artist Rodney Marshall Winfield (-Dec. 13, 2017) created Washington National Cathedral's Space Window; undated portrait of Rodney Winfield, Maryville University Archives: CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Rodney_Winfield.jpg;
Maryville University Archives (Maryville University Archives), Public Domain, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/136030208@N03/49833776853/

The Space Window was dedicated in Washington National Cathedral Sunday, July 21, 1974, in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of Apollo 11's lunar landing: Pgmark at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Space_Window.jpg

For further information:
"The Space Window at National Cathedral." National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) > News & Features > News Topics > NASA History and People > Features.
Available @ https://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/features/spacewindow.html