Artifact: Apollo 15 flown voice and data tape segment.
Date of use: July 26, 1971 - August 7, 1971.
Dimensions: 2.58 x 8 cm (tape sample), 21.6 x 28 cm (presentation).
Flown Status: flown.

Description:

Voice and data tape segment (34/200) flown around the Moon on Apollo 15. The reel was lot #539, purchased at auction in the Spring of 2000 by collector Mike Smithwick. It comes with copies of its corresponding documentation, which includes transit tags, bonded storage documents and laboratory reports.

The Data Storage Equipment (DSE) recorded the voice and data aboard the Command Module. It included two eight-inch (20.32 cm) reels that that spooled through read-write heads approximately 2,250 feet (685.5 m) of one-inch Mylar magnetic tape. The 14-track tape had a storage capacity of over four hours of voice and data.

DSE (Data Storage Equipment). Credit: Photo: S66-22993. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

The DSE (Data Storage Equipment) was used during the crucial Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) burn performed by the Command and Service Module (CSM) while situated on the opposite side of the Moon, beyond the reach of Earth communication, and during re-entry. Throughout this interval, the DSE recorded the dialogue of the crew, as well as critical data related to the engine and system operations. Subsequently, these recorded inputs were transmitted to the ground for detailed engineering assessment as the spacecraft flew into Earthrise and reestablished radio contact with Mission Control.

More information:

Spaceholic.com - Artifact: Data Recorder, Apollo Command Module Data Storage Equipment (DSE), Block II

Artifact: Yuri Malenchenko's flown Sokol KV-2 spacesuit glove
Date of use: July 1, 1994 - November 4, 1994.
Manufacturer: Zvezda.
Dimensions: 11 cm wide (ring) and 25.5 cm total length.
Weight: 286 gr.

Serial number: ГП-7А-11Б-0270415 / ЛEБE 0480130 (ring).

Program: Soyuz.
Flown Status: flown.

Description:
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko wore this left glove as part of his rescue suit during the launch of Soyuz TM-19 on July 1, 1994 enroute to the Mir Space station as a member of the Mir 16 Mission (July 1, 1994 - November 4, 1994).

Identification tags sewn into the wrist sections bear his initials, МЮИ (Маленченко Юрий Иванович/Malenchenko Yuri Ivanovich), with parts numbers above, "ГП-7А-11Б-0270415". Serial numbers "ЛEБE 0480130" etched into the insides of the blue anodized wrist coupling. The glove is comprised of white nylon canvas atop a custom-molded rubber hand that is reinforced with leather in the palm. Between the leather and rubber are metal reinforcement bars that prevent the glove from distending while under pressure. In fine condition, with general wear from use.

Soyuz TM-19:
Soyuz TM-19 was the first mission in 17 years to have a rookie crew without any spaceflight experience. The crew's main objective was to conduct various experiments, including medical studies on the effects of long-term weightlessness, materials science, Earth observation, astrophysics, and biotechnology.

The mission encountered challenges, with the Progress M-24 freighter experiencing difficulties during its automatic docking attempt with the Mir space station. However, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko demonstrated impressive remote piloting skills and successfully docked the Progress M-24 manually.

During the mission, two spacewalks were performed by cosmonauts Yuri Malenchenko and Talgat Musabayev. They inspected and repaired the docking port struck by the Progress M-24 and conducted other assembly and maintenance work outside the space station.

Despite the challenges, the mission concluded successfully with the crew's safe return to Earth.

Malenchenko flew on ten missions: Soyuz TM-19 (Mir EO-16) STS-106, Soyuz TMA-2 (Expedition 7), Soyuz TMA-11 (Expedition 16), Soyuz TMA-05M (Expedition 32/33), and Soyuz TMA-19M (Expedition 46/47). He became the first person to marry in space, on 10 August 2003, when he married Ekaterina Dmitrieva, who was in Texas, while he was 240 miles (390 km) over New Zealand, on the International Space Station.

More information:

Space Facts - Mir 16 Mission

Item: Argentine flag carried to the Moon aboard Apollo 15.
Size: 15.5 x 10.4 cm.

Mission: Apollo 15

Launch date: July 26, 1971.

Landing date: August 7, 1971.

Description: this flag from Argentina was carried to the Moon aboard Apollo 15 in the spacecraft Endeavour. It remained in the Command Module during the lunar orbit phase of the flight.

Apollo 15 was the fourth manned lunar landing mission, carrying for the first time a lunar rover and a Scientific Instrument Bay in the Service Module. The flight was launched on July 26 and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on August 7, 1971, logging flight time of 295.2 hours and a distance of over 1.4 million miles. Dave Scott and Jim Irwin explored the region of Hadley Rille for three days while Alfred M. Worden conducted experiments in orbit. On the return to Earth, Worden performed a 38 minute Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) to recover film that had been exposed during the flight.

The flag is signed and inscribed "Flown to the Moon on Apollo 15 Al Worden CMP" by NASA Astronaut Al Worden. It comes with two certificates of authenticity. One from Nate D. Sanders Auctions, and the other from astronaut Al Worden.

Al Worden Certificate of Authenticity

More information:

Flown flags carried in the astronaut's PPKs

Artifact: personal illustration flown in the International Space Station and signed by cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev
Date of use: June 21, 2023 - September 27, 2023.
Dimensions: 21 x 29.7 cm.
Flown Status: flown.

Description:

On June 21, 2023, an illustration of my creation was sent to the Internnational Space Station, printed there, and marked with the seals of the Station and the Russian Orbital Sector, as well as signed by cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

The page was in orbit for 98 days, from June 21, to September 27, 2023. The page returned to Earth aboard Soyuz-MS23.

This is the photo session of Fedyaev, with the assistance of cosmonaut Dmitriy Petelin.

My illustration highlights the three highlights of space exploration: the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, and the first man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong.

Artifact: Illustration flown aboard the International Space Station.
Date of use: July 2, 2023.
Flown Status: Flown.

Description: This is an illustration I did as part of my professional work and it ended at flying in zero gravity inside the ISS. It was signed by the seven astronauts and cosmonauts aboard: Frank Rubio, Dmitri Petelin, Sergey Prokopyev, Stephen G. Bowen, Woody Hoburg, Andrey Fedyaev, and Sultan Alneyadi.

Item: Apollo 13 Lunar Module Aquarius flown stowage assembly netting and piece of beta cloth
Size: stowage assembly netting (4 x 3 x 3.5 cm aprox.), beta cloth (3 x 2.3 x 2.4 cm). Container size: 4.5 cm, each.

Description:

This segments of netting and Beta cloth material were part of Lunar Module Aquarius and went around the Moon on the flight of Apollo 13 during April 11 to 17, 1970. The segments were cut from an Interim Stowage Assembly that was removed from Aquarius prior to LM jettison just before the reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

Aft stowage assembly netting of Apollo 16. The piece of beta cloth and netting from Apollo 13 in my collection comes from this area of the Lunar Module. Credit: NASA/Apollo Lunar Surface Journal

After the return to Earth, James Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise presented segments of this netting material as a thank-you to key support personel. Fred Haise still had some of this material that he later offered as a means of raising funds to support the Infinity Science Center.

Obtained through The Space Collective.

Artifact: STS-118 flown seeds on 5x7 card presentation.
Date of use: August 8, 2007 - August 21, 2007.
Dimensions: 10.1 x 15.1 cm.
Flown Status: flown.

Description:

Basil seeds flown on STS-118 on card presentation. These seeds were returned to Earth as part of the STS-118/13A. 1 mission in which Astronaut Barbara Morgan initiated the grown cycle of basil seeds inside the ISS. The seeds were sent to school children for them to plant and observe the differences between seeds exposed to space and seeds that have remained on Earth.

Artifact: Gemini 5 flown heatshield presentation
Date of use: 21. Aug. 1965 - 29. Aug. 1965.
Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft Corporation.
Dimensions: 20.2 x 25.2 (fragment: 1.1 x 0.5 cm).

Program: Gemini.
Flown Status: flown.

Description:

Small fragment of Gemini 5's heatshield. Like those of other early human spacecraft, Gemini's heat shield derived from ballistic-missile warhead technology. The dish-shaped shield created a shock wave in the atmosphere that held off most of the heat. The rest dissipated by ablation: charring and evaporation of the shield's surface. Ablative heat shields are not reusable.

Gemini 5 at the Johnson Space Center. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

The Gemini heatshield utilized a paste-like silicone elastomer material as its ablative substance, which hardened upon being poured into a honeycomb structure. This heatshield was specifically engineered to safeguard the delicate spacecraft from the immense heat generated during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. The process of reentry commenced at a velocity exceeding 27,500 kilometers (17,000 miles) per hour.

Gemini 5:
Gemini 5, launched in 1965 as part of NASA's Project Gemini, marked a significant milestone in American space exploration. This crewed mission was the third in the Gemini series and the eleventh manned spaceflight by the United States (including two X-15 flights surpassing 100 kilometers). Moreover, it was the nineteenth human spaceflight ever conducted.

A remarkable achievement of Gemini 5 was that it set a new world record for mission duration, establishing American dominance in crewed space missions. On August 26, 1965, Command Pilot Gordon Cooper and Pilot Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. broke the previous record set by the Soviet Union's Vostok 5 in 1963. The American crew held the title for the longest space mission at that time.

Unfortunately, the duration of Gemini V could have been even longer if it were not for the interference of Hurricane Betsy. The approaching storm forced the mission to be cut short, preventing the crew from extending their time in space by another day.

Artifact: Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-1) Flown American Flag on Presentation Certificate
Artifact Category: Flag, certificate
Date of use: 12-14 April, 1981
Spacecraft/Launch Systems: Space Shuttle Columbia
Materials: Cloth, paper
Program: Space Transportation System

Dimensions: 21.2 x 27.9 cm. Flag: 10.5 x 14.5 cm.
Flown Status: Flown

Description: A 5.75" x 4.125" cloth U.S. flag that accompanied crewmembers Young and Crippen aboard the maiden voyage of the Space Shuttle program, April 12-14, 1981. It is laid down to a 7" x 11" certificate with two color photos, the mission insignia, and facsimile signatures of Christopher C. Kraft, John Young and Bob Crippen, along with text as follows: "Presented to JERRY T. KILPATRICK. This flag was flown aboard Space Shuttle 'Columbia' (STS-1) April 12 - 14, 1981. It is presented to you in recognition of the significant contribution you made to the success of the mission."

Jerry T. Kilpatrick worked at the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Besides the Personal Preference Kit (PPK) limited to 2.5 pounds of personal items the astronauts flew for family members and friends, STS-1 also carried an Official Flight Kit (OFK) containing presentation items that NASA, the crew and others would distribute post-flight. OFKs have flown on all subsequent shuttle missions and can be traced back to Apollo flights.

Notable among the STS-1 OFK contents were 10,000 small U.S. flags, which were later given to employees and VIPs. These flags represent the most accessible of STS-1's artifacts today.

Artifact: SpaceX Starship SN24 thermal protection tile fragments
Date of use: April 20, 2023.

Fragment 1

Dimensions: 14 x 12.2 x 3 cm.
Weight: 69 gr.

Fragment 2

Dimensions: 9 x 3.6 x 1.3 cm.

Weight: 7 gr.

Flown Status: flown.

Description:

2 fragments of the thermal protection tiles used during the launch test of SpaceX Starship SN4 on April 20, 2023. They were found on Playa del Sol, also know as Barra del Tordo in Mexico on May 15, 2023.

The shape of the hex tiles used for ther thermal protection system offers no straight path for hot gas to accelerate through the gaps.

Above: Fragments location within the shape of a hex tile.

Hex tiles on Starship in 2021. Credit: Austin Barnard.

Above: Playa del Sol, where the tile fragments where found. Credit: Ronhardrock468.

Artifact: Fairing piece from H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 3
Date of use: July 21, 2012
Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Spacecraft/Launch Systems: H-IIB Launch Vehicle
Materials: aluminum.
Dimensions: 4 x 1.6 x 0.7 cm, aprox
Program: H-IIB
Flown Status: flown.

Description: Piece of fairing that from H-IIB rocket that protected the HTV3 cargo transfer vehicle during the launch.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No.3 (H-IIB F3) with the KOUNOTORI3 (HTV3, a cargo transfer vehicle to the International Space Station) onboard at 11:06:18 a.m. on July 21 (Sat.) 2012 (Japan Standard Time, JST) from the Tanegashima Space Center.

The KOUNOTORI is an unmanned cargo transporter to be launched by the H-IIB launch vehicle. It is designed to deliver up to six tons of supplies including food, clothes, and experiment devices to the ISS in orbit at an altitude of about 400 kilometers and return with spent equipment, used clothing, and other waste material.

The KOUNOTORI with waste material is incinerated when it makes a re-entry into the atmosphere. This transport operation involves a rendezvous with and docking to the ISS, in a situation requiring a highly reliable transfer vehicle.

More information

Launch of H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 3

H-IIB (Wikipedia)

JAXA press release

Information about KOUNOTORI

Artifact: Yuri Malenchenko's personal metal badge flown on Soyuz TMA-11 (Expedition 16).
Date of use: October 10, 2007 - April 19, 2008.
Dimensions: 3.8 x 3 cm.
Weight: 11 gr.
Status: Flown.

Description: The design for this badge was comissioned by Alex Panchenko for Yuri Malencheko's flight on Soyuz TMA-11 (Expedition 16). It features jet fighter Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 flown by him during during his time at the Air Force, a Soyuz spacecraft and the Russian flag circling the globe.

It was taken aboard Soyuz TMA-11 on October 10, 2007. It stayed in orbit for 197 days, and onboard the International Space Station until April 19, 2008. The Expedition 16 were Peggy Whitson, Yuri Malenchenko, Clayton Anderson, Daniel Tani, Léopold Eyharts, and Garrett Reisman.

See Yuri Malenchenko's personal patch in my collection.

More information:

Soyuz TMA-11 (Wikipedia)

Artifact: Liberty Bell 7 flown film lucite display
Artifact Category: film, lucite.
Date of use: July 21, 1961.
Manufacturer: Lucite made by Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center.
Dimensions: 21.3 x 4.3 x 7.2 cm.
Weight: 561 gr.
Program: Mercury.
Flown Status: flown.

Part Nr.: 791 of 1000.

Description: This filmstrip from Liberty Bell 7 recovered from the Atlantic Ocean on July 20. 1999, from a depth of 16.043 feet, was removed during an extensive restoration conducted on the spacecraft by the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center In Hutchinson, Kansas. The pilot observation camera, in which the film was housed, dissolved over time and the film fell to the floor of the capsule where it was encased in mud and corroding debris. The 38-year exposure 10 the elements made the film unsalvageable and it could not be returned to the capsule during the restoration. Issued in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Liberty Beil 7 fight, proceeds derived from making these limited edition artifacts available was used to support the Cosmosphere’s exhibit and education programs.

The main objective of the mission was to evaluate the performance of the Mercury capsule and to test the astronaut's ability to manually control the spacecraft. During the 15-minute suborbital flight, Grissom performed a number of manual maneuvers, including pitch and roll changes, and tested the capsule's manual control system.

However, shortly after splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean, the explosive bolts of the capsule's hatch unexpectedly fired, causing the capsule to flood with water and sink to the bottom of the ocean. Grissom was able to escape and was rescued by a recovery helicopter, but the spacecraft was lost.

After the hatch of Liberty Bell 7 opened prematurely, gallons of seawater entered the spacecraft. A helicopter recovery team attempted to empty the water, as seen in this photo. Seconds after this picture was taken, the Marine helicopter dropped the spacecraft because it was too heavy to continue lifting, and the capsule sank to the ocean floor. Credit: NASA.

The cause of the hatch failure has been debated over the years, with some suggesting that Grissom may have accidentally triggered the hatch release switch, while others believe it was a malfunction of the hatch mechanism itself.

A close-up of the Liberty Bell 7 capsule, recovered from the ocean floor, shows the lettering "United States" still clearly visible on its side. Credit: NASA.

Despite the loss of the spacecraft, the Liberty Bell 7 mission was considered a success in terms of the performance of the Mercury capsule and Grissom's ability to manually control it.

Item: Apollo 11 flown Kapton polymide foil
Size: 0.9 x 1.4 / 1.3 x 0.9 / 1 x 0.3 cm.
Manufacturer: Rockwell International / Presentation: The Right Stuff Inc.

Description: The affixed piece of Kapton is an authentic piece of the Apollo 11 Command Module #107 and protected Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins on teir 953,000-mile, 8-day journey to the Moon and back. It was removed from Columbia after splashdown.

The silver side of the foil is outward facing and exposed to deep space to protect the spacecraft. The backing is gold colored and affixed with an adhesive to the Command Module.

The photo that illustrates the Certificate of Authenticity shows the Apollo 11 Command Module "Columbia" being hoisted aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. The Kapton Foil is clearly visible on the upper portion of the spacecraft. On July 20, 1969 Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin exited the Lunar Module, Eagle, and were the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface. Michael Collins remained in Lunar orbit in the CM, Columbia.

Photo S69-21294. The Apollo 11 spacecraft Command Module being lowered to the deck of the U.S.S. Hornet.  Credit: NASA / Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal.

Certified by Sandy Clarkson, from The Right Stuff Inc.

Item: Apollo 13 flown Lunar Module strap
Size: 2 x 2.3 cm.
Manufacturer: Grumman / Presentation: The Right Stuff Inc.

Description: Apollo 13, America'S third lunar landing mission, was aborted due to an oxygen tank explosion aboard "Odyssey's" Service Module more than 200,000 miles from earth on its outbound journey. This caused the spacecraft to lose its electrical power, oxygen, and water supplies. Astronauts James A- Lovell Jr., Fred W. Haise, and John L. Swigert, Jr. were forced to use the Lunar Module Aquarius as a lifeboat for the 500,000 mile voyage back to earth. After a slingshot maneuver around the Moon, the crew returned safely to earth when their Command Module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 17, 1970.

This section of braided cloth strap is a portion of the webbing from the Lunar Module Aquarius. It was salvaged by the crew of Apollo 13 prior jettisoning of the LM. The webbing was cut into small pieces and presented to members of the support teams that helped the crew return home safely.

There were a few of these straps given to the Apollo support teams. The fratment in my collection comes from this braided strap.

The affixed portion of braided cloth strap was actually flown in the Apollo 13 Lunar Module Aquarius. It was gifted to NASA Production Control Engineer William R. Whipkey, who had it in his possession until he sold it to Sandy Clarkson from The Right Stuff Inc.

It comes with a copy of the COA signed by W. R. Whipkey.

Artifact: Skylab flown oxygen supply tank fragment.
Size: 6.5 x 10.8 cm.
Weight: 385 gr.

Description: Flown fragment of a Skylab oxygen supply tank recovered in Western Australia after the space station's fiery reentry in 1979, approximately 1.75” x .5°, encased ina domed 2.5” x 4” x 2.5” block of Lucite with a folded image and information sheet at the bottom.

Skylab was the first United States space station, launched by NASA, occupied for about 24 weeks between May 1973 and February 1974. It was operated by three separate three-astronaut crews: Skylab 2, Skylab 3, and Skylab 4. Major operations included an orbital workshop, a solar observatory, Earth observation, and hundreds of experiments.

Peter Ralphs, Laurie Hotstone and Bill Norton pose by the road in Rawlinna, WA with the Skylab oxygen supply tank, July 13, 1979. Credit: AP radiophoto.

Item: STS-8 flown cover with presentation folder.
Size: 16.1 x 9.5 cm. Presentation folder: 21.4 x 28 cm. 

Description: through the cooperative efforts of the U.S. Postal Service and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, this special event cover (envelope) was developed and carried aboard STS-8,
NASA's official designation for the eighth Space Shuttle flight. This cover is unique because it is the first to record the flight into space with originating and returning postal cancellations. The cover’s front
cachet is a reproduction of NASA's official “patch” design for STS-8, and the cachet on the reverse side depicts NASA’s 25th anniversary logo. The stamp affixed is also noteworthy because it was issued at the Kennedy Space Center on August 12, 1983.

The August 14, 1983, cancellation date on the front of the cover indicates the day STS-8 was scheduled to be launched with its cargo of covers, including this one NASA’s 25th anniversary logo is part of the

cancellation design on the front of the cover. The circular postmark cancellation

On the reverse side of the cover indicates the place and date the shuttle returned to Earth.

Members of the crew were Richard H. Truly, commander, Daniel C. Brandenstein, Dale A. Gardner, Guion S. Bluford and William B. Thornton.

During the flight, the INSAT-1B communications satellite was put into orbit and several important experiments were conducted. One of these included using an electrical field to separate molecules in
liquid suspension, for possible pharmaceutical applications. Also, the 50 foot-long mechanical arm in the cargo payload area was tested in preparation for retrieving the Solar Observatory Satellite which was launched several years ago to monitor the sun. On a later shuttle flight, NASA plans to have astronauts take the ailing observatory out of its orbit, make repairs, and then relaunch it.

Item: Liberty Bell 7 flown sealing tape.
Size: 21 x 29.2 cm (presentation). 1 x 0.6 cm. (fragment).

Description: Attached to this certificate is a piece of sealing tape which formed part of the Liberty Bell 7 Mercury spacecraft. It was recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean on July 20 1999 from a depth of 16,043 feet. Mercury Redstone 4 was the second US manned space mission. It launched on July 21 1961 and carried astronaut Virgil "Gus" Grissom on a suborbital spaceflight lasting 15 minutes 30 seconds in the Liberty Bell 7 capsule. Just after splashdown the hatch of the capsule blew resulting in it sinking into the Atlantic Ocean. It comes with a Certificate of authenticity signed by Curt Newport, Liberty Bell 7 Expedition Leader.