What became known as the Space Window at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC is formally titled the Scientists and Technicians Window. The stained glass artwork was created by American artist Rodney Winfield. His first 11 designs were all rejected by either NASA or the cathedral administrators.
It was when he threw out the rulebook that he had his breakthrough. In his journal, Winfield describes the artistic process that lead him to create the design that ultimately was accepted.
“That was when I decided to forget all the limitations of the visual elements provided me by NASA,” he wrote, “And simply do a window that would show the immensity of the universe.” His 12th, and final, proposal was a boldly-colored, geometric design with dark spheres and tiny stars. It’s what we see today at the National Cathedral.
The window was officially dedicated on the 5th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. It was only later that a rock from the moon was embedded into the window. Read the story the Space Window at Atlas Obscura.
(Image credit: NASA)