Freedom 7, America's first space capsule, will be on display in the Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center of the Naval Academy for five years, beginning Wednesday.

The capsule will be on loan in Annapolis from the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.

Retired Navy Capt. James Lovell, commander of Apollo 13 and a 1952 graduate of the academy, will speak at 6 p.m. Sept. 28 at the visitor center.

Also attending will be Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charlie Bolden, veteran of four space shuttle missions, and Navy Cmdr. Wendy Lawrence and Navy Capt. Bill Readdy, participants in recent Mir space station missions.

Freedom 7 was launched May 5, 1961.

Pub Date: 9/20/98