Apollo Artifacts

Apollo Command Module Main Control Panel 2F

This CM Panel 2F controls the Cryogenics and Environmental System controls and is positioned in front of the CM pilot and LM pilot.

The panel contains cryogenic tank indicators, cabin fan switches, H2 and O2 heaters, O2 pressure, H2 and O2 fans, cabin temperature, and much more.

This panel is block I, but shares many similarities with the Block II version.

I particularly like this because this panel is known to many people due to Apollo 13. The "stir the tank" switch and "are we dead yet due to CO2" readout are on this panel. Even people who are not space collectors get excited about this because it is familiar from the Apollo 13 movie, so it is be fun to show to people and point out the bits from the film. This is, of course, not the actual panel that flew on Apollo 13 but rather an earlier model of that panel.

This panel is in great condition. It is clearly flight quality as all the switches and displays are definitely the real thing.

The size is approximately 18" x 16" x 20 pounds. The item is encased in oak with a handle and acrylic backing so it will stand up for display and I can carry it.

My Apollo 13 40th anniversary photo

I attended the Apollo 13 40th anniversary celebration at The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center.

In this photo, I am with Gene Kranz, NASA Flight Director from the Apollo 13 mission “Failure is not an option”, Fred Haise, Lunar Module pilot from Apollo 13, and Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 Commander “Houston we have a problem”.

We are in front of the Apollo 13 spacecraft.

It’s always an honor to meet veterans of the Apollo lunar program.

James Lovell and Fred Haise discuss what really happened on Apollo 13

Apollo 13 Commander James A. Lovell, Jr. and Lunar Module Pilot Fred W. Haise, Jr. discuss their mission at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation event on November 6, 2009 at Kennedy Space Center. I was lucky to be sitting front row center.

The video is about 24 minutes and is edited from a 45-minute discussion. It is best to let the video partially load before watching. Video is better quality on Vimeo direct link here.

Some timeouts.

:00 – 11:00 What really happened on Apollo 13. Commander Lovell provides a very detailed discussion of the chain of events leading to the explosion.

11:00 – 16:00 Fred Haise describes where he was and whart he was doing during the explosion.

16:00 – 20:00 Haise discusses several inaccuracies in the movie Apollo 13.

20:00 – 21:30 Lovell describes his reaction when the crew learned that they were not going to be able to walk on the moon.

21:30 – 23:10 The crew discusses the use of a free return trajectory (vs. powered return).

23:10 – 24:00 Why the explosion happened at the perfect time.

Apollo 13 Lunar Module TD+2 Star Chart used in training

This 8-3/4" diameter star chart consists of a black star disc below and a semitransparent rotating disc. The rings on the outer disc signify what stars would be seen through the LM Optical Telescope at certain times during the stay on the moon.

Star charts like this were used on every lunar landing mission to orient the LM just prior to liftoff. The star chart is dated for a launch date of 11 April 1970 (Apollo 13), and was to be used in case the Lunar Module had to leave the moon's surface within 2 hours after landing (TD+2 means Touchdown + 2 Hours).

Each Lunar Module carried two similar star charts – this one for an immediate liftoff, and another for liftoff after the stars had precessed across the sky during their stay on the moon. This star chart was used in the Lunar Module Simulator during the training for Apollo 13.

My friend Larry McGlynn has written an excellent two-part overview of the star charts of Apollo. Links here: Part one and part two.

Apollo 13 CSM Launch Checklist used in training

This checklist containing more than 100 pages on 8 by 6 inch card stock was the personal training copy of Apollo 13 lunar module pilot Fred Haise.

This manual lists the events that occurred during the Saturn V launch and has specific steps to be carried out by the flight crew. Sections cover boost preps, launch trajectory, launch aborts, boost, orbit insertion and orbital check-outs, TLI preps, and booster (S-IV-B) separation. An emergency section printed on pink paper covers the MODE I to IV aborts. The last sections cover Earth re-entry procedures in the event that that the flight remained in Earth orbit and did not travel to the moon.

For space geeks like me, this checklist makes fascinating reading.

Apollo 13 flown launch abort cue card

This cue card was from the personal collection of Fred W. Haise, Apollo 13 Lunar Module Pilot.

The information that Haise supplied about the card reads:
"This cue card was carried around the moon on the flight of Apollo 13 during April 11 to 17, 1971. This card was positioned on the instrument panel with Velcro during the launch to be used in the event of a Mode III abort. This abort mode became available in the period of launch just before achieving the Abort-to-Orbit capability. On the cards are blanks to be filled in for a manually executed SPS retrograde maneuver such as Time Of Ignition (TIG), Burn Time (BT), Pitch attitude, Ground Elapsed Time (GET) to reach 300k feet altitude, Pitch attitude reaching .05G, and the time for Drogue parachute deployment. The burn was to change velocity by 6999.9 feet per second to assure an Atlantic splashdown short of the African continent. We did not have to use this card but did have to deal with a much more complicated abort case on Apollo 13."

Apollo 13 flown couch material Lucite intended for Apollo 13 movie VIPs

The bottom of this fascinating artifact reads: "This is a segment of the actual backing restraint material removed from mission commander James A Lovell's spacecraft couch aboard the Apollo 13 command module 'Odyssey'. This artifact symbolizes one of the greatest human dramas to ever unfold in space during the near catastrophic mission of Apollo 13, April 11-17, 1970. Presented by the Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center as a tribute to your participation in the development of Universal Studio's movie production of 'Apollo 13'."

The Apollo 13 command module is displayed at the Kansas Cosmophere. A small number of these lucite artifacts were sold to the public to raise money and even fewer were given away to the VIPs who worked on the Apollo 13 movie.

Apollo 13 launch viewing pass

Special guests who were invited to watch the launches of the Apollo program from a special viewing area were issued passes. These lucky few were entitled to be at a spot that was as close to the launch as one could safely get. I have a launch viewing pass from each Apollo mission in my collection.

With Apollo 13 on April 11, 1970, Saturn V launches became almost routine. Nobody who witnessed the liftoff that day could have anticipated the drama that would soon unfold.