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Rockets projected onto Washington Monument for America's 250th
January 1, 2026
— The towering image of a full-size Saturn V moon rocket returned to the face of the Washington Monument on New Year's Eve, this time to mark 250 years since the founding of the United States.
The iconic black and white booster, along with other scenes from NASA and U.S. history, were projected onto the obelisk — the tallest landmark in the nation's capital — as a special "birthday candle" for the country. The "Illumination of America," as the show was titled according to the White House, marked only the second time in history that the 555-foot-tall (169-meter) Washington Monument has been been lit as such.
"Freedom 250 is ringing in the New Year by illuminating the story of America, including reaching for the stars, and highlighting our achievements in space, on the Washington Monument," announced NASA in a social media post referencing the organization leading the national semiquincentennial celebration.
The 25-minute presentation debuted Wednesday (Dec. 31) and is set to continue through Monday, from 7:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. EST daily, with shows starting every hour on the hour.
In July 2019, the Saturn V was first projected on the Washington Monument as part of a different production put on by the Smithsonian for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. This time the rocket, along with the other imagery, can be seen from all sides of the monument, rather than just the National Mall face.
"The illumination of the Washington Monument marks the beginning of a momentous year for our nation — 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence," Keith Krach, CEO of Freedom 250, said in a statement. "We invite every American — and every friend of America — to join this historic celebration of the triumph of the American spirit."
The 363-foot-tall (110-meter) Saturn V rocket first appears in a segment following the Wright brothers' invention of the airplane 66 years earlier.
Apollo 11 commentator Jack King's voice is heard counting down to the depicted liftoff. The launch then leads into scenes of the Apollo 11 spacecraft approaching the moon and landing on its surface in 1969. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are shown walking on the moon and deploying the U.S. flag.
"American astronauts broke free from the Earth, stretched their hands through the endless void and planted the stars and stripes on the face of the moon," says the show's narrator, as local voice over actor who was not identified. "America brought mankind into the Space Age."
The program ends with a computer-generated animation of the United States as seen from space.
"And perhaps someday, our descendants will plant the American flag on distant worlds, carrying the light of liberty to the farthest corners of creation, reminding all nations that for the United States of America there is no frontier too far, no dream too bold, no horizon beyond our reach," narrates the actor.
Sign of things to come
Separate from the formal show, a projection of NASA's next generation rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), was also seen on the monument Wednesday night.
The 322-foot-tall (98-meter) SLS appeared as a full-size static image, configured similarly to how it will look when it lifts off with the first astronauts to fly by the moon in more than 50 years. NASA's Artemis II crew are slated to travel farther into space than any humans have ever done so before after launching as soon as February and no later than April, according to NASA.
The SLS rendering used for the monument's illumination was missing, ironically, a recent addition to the real rocket's markings — the official "America 250" logo of the semiquincentennial celebration, which NASA had painted on each of the twin, side-mounted solid rocket boosters.
"The pioneering spirit of the American people ... beckons us to begin new journeys of discovery," says the narrator towards the show's conclusion, "daring us once again to dream the impossible and imagine the wonders waiting among the stars."
Full-size images of NASA's Saturn V rocket lifting off for moon are projected onto the Washington Monument on Dec. 31, 2025, as part of "Illumination of America," a Freedom 250 event to kick off the country's 250th birthday year in Washington. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
"Illumination of America" marked the second projection of a Saturn V rocket onto the Washington Monument since 2910 and first time that imagery has been mapped on all four sides. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
In addition to the Apollo Saturn V, "Illumination of America" includes the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will fly the first humans into lunar orbit and land the moon. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
In addition to scenes showing the Apollo-era Saturn V and Artemis Program Space Launch System (SLS), the "Illumination of America" map projection show on the Washington Monument included astronauts walking the moon and deploying the United States flag. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
