Letter from space architect Wernher von Braun found in time capsule from 1969 – Montgomery Advertiser

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An out-of-this-world artifactfound in Montgomery'stime capsule from 1969 was a letter from aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun from a few weeks after Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

Bernhard Tessmann and Wernher von Braun at the Saturn V rocket test stand at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in this file photo from the late 1960s.(Photo: Alabama Department of Archives and History)

The capsule was sealed during Montgomery's 150th anniversary with instructions not to open it until the city's 200th anniversary.The city commemorated Montgomerys bicentennial with the opening of the capsule.

More: Here's the full list of what was in the 1969 Montgomery time capsule

Von Braun, was a rocket scientist who spearheaded Nazi Germany's rocket development program during World War II. After the war, he emigrated to the United States and became the driving force and architect of America's program to land astronauts on the moon. Along with the letter, von Braun sent Saturn V and Apollo 8 medallions to be placed in the capsule.

"After the turn of the century, when this time capsule will be opened, space exploration will advance to a degree unforeseen in these opening years of space flight," von Braun wrote in a letter addressed to Jim Pruett, a well-known Montgomery local on the board for the time capsule at the time. "It is our fondest hope that space advancements follow the trend that we attempted to establish in the 1960s and are directed toward the benefit of mankind and toward the uplifting of all Earth's people."

A letter addressed to Jimmy Pruett from Wernher von Braun is seen as items are pulled from the time capsule.(Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

Messages, a Coke, pantyhose from the past: Montgomery opens 50-year-old time capsule

Contents placedin the capsule in 1969are were archived by theAlabama Department of Archives and History.

A small exhibit of some of the materials found in the capsule will be on view beginning Thursday in the ADAHs main lobby. Several items have been digitized and can be viewed here.

The ADAH will begin releasing letters to their intended recipients in the coming weeks.

Sara MacNeilcan be reached at smacneil@montgome.gannett.com. Follow her onTwitter.

Jimmy Pruett holds a letter addressed to him from Wernher von Braun as items are pulled from the time capsule, that was sealed during Montgomery's 150th anniversary in 1969.(Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

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Letter from space architect Wernher von Braun found in time capsule from 1969 - Montgomery Advertiser