Space & Rocket Center’s Saturn V rocket to be lit up blue for fallen Huntsville officer
Huntsville’s most iconic feature will pay tribute to fallen police officer Garrett Crumby on Wednesday night.
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center said that the Saturn V rocket, which stands 363 feet tall in the middle of the museum’s campus, will be lit up in blue.
Crumby was fatally wounded after being shot responding to a call less than two miles from the rocket center. Another officer, Albert Morin, was also shot and remains in critical condition, police said Wednesday afternoon.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and are grateful for all the Huntsville Police Department does for the Rocket Center and for our community,” the rocket center said in a statement.
Gov. Kay Ivey also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Crumby until sunset on Monday.
“On behalf of the state of Alabama, I express my deepest sympathies to the family, friends and fellow law enforcement professionals,” Ivey said in the proclamation. “I am forever grateful for Officer Crumby’s dedication in keeping our communities safe and serving the people of Alabama. Additionally, I call upon all Alabamians to uplift Officer Albert Morin in prayer as he recovers from injuries sustained during the tragic event. We stand with the men and women who sacrifice everything to protect our communities.”
The Saturn V rocket, which took men to the moon, is frequently lit in different colors for special occasions. New LED lighting was added as part of a 2019 restoration project. The rocket was lit in different colors in April 2020 to honor healthcare workers and first responders as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the nation.
The new LED system is more cost-effective than the previous spotlights that illuminated the rocket from the ground and also eliminates the shadows that resulted from the spotlights.