SEATTLE — Some special guests ascended to the top of the Space Needle on Tuesday morning to begin the process of repainting Seattle's most iconic landmark.
The Space Needle is returning to "Astronaut White" after it was painted its original "Galaxy Gold" for its 60th-anniversary celebration last year.
The Space Needle was originally painted "Astronaut White," “Orbital Olive,” and “Re-entry Red,” topped with “Galaxy Gold" when it opened to the public on April 21, 1962.
The Space Needle was painted "Galaxy Gold" in April 2022 to kick off its 60th-anniversary celebration. According to Space Needle, the final paint colors were in line with the 21st-century theme of the World’s Fair, including "Galaxy Gold" for the sunburst and pagoda roof. John Minasian, the Space Needle’s chief engineer, designed rocket gantries for NASA.
Along with several of the top fundraisers from the annual Base 2 Space charity stair climb, local mascots Mariner Moose and Buoy from the Seattle Kraken were on hand to celebrate the occasion.
"The Space Needle gets a lot of cool things in and on and around it over the years as we roll through to celebrate things happening in the city around the world. We do flag-raising, special lightings, decals on the roof," said Randy Cote, chief operating officer for the Space Needle.
Cote said the last time the Space Needle was painted prior to the 60th anniversary was in 2012 for the 50th anniversary.
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