When you think about the lunar landing, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t glass. But 50 years ago, the humble material of glass played an integral role in making an epic journey to the moon possible.

A highlight of Journey to the Moon: How Glass Got Us There is a lunar meteorite with glassy components that visitors can touch. Key objects and artifacts examine the role of glass in making the mission possible, including fiberglass—used in the protective outer layer of spacesuits worn by astronauts, and as insulation for the spacecrafts—and a Gemini window, designed by Corning, Inc. for the space shuttle windshield. Made of fused silica, this glass is able to withstand the heat of reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. A moonwalk montage provides visuals of the lunar landing, revealing how glass on our TV screens gave everyone on Earth a first glimpse at the moon, and that glass in our TVs and devices still provides us a window through which to view important moments today.

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