Artifact: "The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space", signed by Gene Cernan
Author: Eugene Cernan and Don Davis.
Publisher: St. Martin's Press.
Date: July, 2000.
Dimensions: 24.2 x 16.2 x 3 cm.
Weight: 622 gr.
Pages: 356.

Description:
Written with New York Times bestselling author Don Davis, The Last Man on the Moon was the basis of the 2014 award-winning feature-length documentary. A revealing and dramatic look at the inside of the American Space Program from one of its pioneers.

Item: Space Shuttle HSRI tile
Size: 15.2x15.2x9x10.9x8.8x7.4 cms.

Weight: 338 gr.

Serial number: VO-070-193004 -98 -008727.

Description: This thermal protection tile comes from the estate of a Lockheed Missile and Space Company Engineer who worked on the development of the Space Shuttle Tiles for NASA. The Company went on to make the tiles for NASA. This tile has the digitized serial numbering system NASA used for placement of each tile on the shuttle. This particular tile was to be located on the mid fuselage sides and lower area. On the back side it says: "VO-070-193004 -98", "53842", "8727", "SCRAP".

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.

Artifact: Fit Check Tile of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Nomenclature:

VO70-391040-112
P1 099 ONLY
TY6317 4-82
H-13728 E07 14
OML

Orbiter: OV-099 Challenger

Location: forward fuselage.

Category: Thermal Protection System.

Period of use: 1982.

Manufacturer: Rockwell International / NASA

NASA contract number: N/A

Spacecraft/Launch Systems: Space Shuttle

Dimensions: 15.1 x 29.8, x 8.5 cm

Weight: 696 g.

Program: Space Shuttle

Flown status: unflown.

Description: Fit Check Tiles were used on the Space Shuttle Orbiter bodies to verify the fit before the actual tiles were fabricated and installed. Each Orbiter is covered with approxim ately 24,000 silica fiber compound tiles and they are all essentially different in size and shape. Based in the information printed on the tile, this particular example would fit on Challenger. The tile originally came from the Charlie Bell collection and is displayed on a Mahogany base with a metal descriptive plaque affixed to it.

Tile serial numbers normally consist of four segments, the first three separated by dashes. In this fit check tile, three numbers appear separated by dashes:

VO70-391040-112

The first two elements of the serial number are letters 'VT' or 'VO'. The 'V' is for Vehicle, the 'O' is orbiter.

The second set of six digits is the location on the orbiter. The following diagram provides a better understanding of tiles locations:

Credit: NASA

P1 099 ONLY means that it was used only on the Challenger Orbiter.

OML: Outer Mold Line.

Sources:

Tile serial numbers (NASA)

Shuttle Tile Maps

Artifact: Apollo A7L spacesuit Checklist and scissors pocket

Size: Checklist pocket: 23x18x7.5 (extended with cover open: 35 cm), Scissors pocket: 7.7x18.4 (extended with cover open 29.1 cm). Straps and pockets, total extension: 62 cm.

Part Numbers: A7L-201047-01 and A7L201049-01. 

Description: Checklist and scissor pockets with metal buckles and part numbers A7L-201047-01 and A7L-201049-01, respectively. This item comes from the collection of Robert (Bob) Dale Helton, who was an aerospace educator that worked on NASA outreach.

The part number for the checklist pocket and the scissors pocket generally refers to the set, with this identifier sometimes present on the strap that connects both pockets.

The last 2 numbers represent the evolutionary model of the same design. Thus, -01 was the first version of a particular article. The metal snap pockets were used extensively during the training of the Apollo Program astronauts. These types of pockets appear in later versions from Apollo 11 to Apollo 14.

Special features: The model that is part of my collection has some rust spots and a red strikethrough on the part number. On one of the straps it is written "Not for O2 use". Probably, as this item was meant to be used for training some parts of it, might not use the same quality materials and therefore beta cloth might not be present in some parts.

The Apollo A7L spacesuit was a versatile system having a base configuration that served for launch, reentry and intra-vehicular activity (IVA) and that, when added accessories for extra-vehicular activity (EVA), also served to walk on the lunar surface.

The pockets with part numbers A7L / 201047/03 and A7L-201049-03 were used in the Apollo 11, 12, 13 and 14 missions.

More information:

Checklist pockets - Space flown artifacts

Item: Edgar Mitchell signed photo.
Size: 25.4 x 20.3 cm.

Description: Inscribed "6th man to walk on the Moon - Apollo 14". Edgar Dean Mitchell (September 17, 1930 – February 4, 2016) was a United States Navy officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, ufologist, and NASA astronaut. As the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 14 in 1971 he spent nine hours working on the lunar surface in the Fra Mauro Highlands region, and was the sixth person to walk on the Moon.

Item: Saturn V photo signed by 6 Apollo astronauts
Size: 27.8 x 35.5 cm.

Description: Image of Apollo 12 Saturn V. Signed from top to bottom by Richard Gordon (CMP, Apollo 12), Edgar Mitchell (LMP, Apollo 14), Walter Cunningham (LMP, Apollo 7), Alan Bean (LMP, Apollo 12), Wally Schirra (CDR, Apollo 7), Charlie Duke (LMP, Apollo 16).

Item: Charlie Duke autographed picture
Size: 25.4 x 20.2 cm.
Date: 2019

Description: A personalized autograph from Astronaut Charles Duke. Picture of Duke on lunar EVA during Apollo 16, April 1972. The Lunar Rover Vehicle is visible in the background.

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: Yuri Gagarin signed photograph
Artifact Category: Photograph, autograph
Dimensions: 8.9 x 11.9 cm.

Description: Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet Air Force pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. On April 12, 1961, Gagarin orbited the Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft, completing a single orbit in 108 minutes.

Born in the village of Klushino in Russia in 1934, Gagarin trained as a foundryman before enrolling in a vocational school for metalworking. He later attended the Saratov Industrial Technical School, where he joined a flying club and became interested in aviation. In 1955, Gagarin entered military flight training and became a lieutenant in the Soviet Air Force.

Gagarin was selected to be a cosmonaut in 1960 and underwent intense physical and psychological training. On April 12, 1961, he was launched into space aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft, becoming the first human to travel into space. The mission made Gagarin an international hero and a symbol of Soviet technological superiority during the Cold War.

Despite his fame, Gagarin remained modest and focused on his work as a cosmonaut. He continued to train for future space missions and worked on developing new spacecraft technology. Tragically, Gagarin died in 1968 while piloting a training jet in a routine flight exercise.

This signed picture comes with a Letter of Authenticity from Steve Zarelli.

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: Paul and Chris Calle handsigned philatelic presentation.
Dimensions: 19 x 20.4 cm.

Description:
Paul and Chris Calle handsigned philatelic presentation in Sweden. Artists' proof print No. 0649. The postmark says "Stockholm release date 11.05.1994".

Paul Calle:

Paul Calle (1928-2010) was an American artist known for his illustrations and paintings. He was chosen to document NASA's Mercury-Atlas 7 mission in 1962 and capturing the spirit of space exploration. He went on to create numerous iconic illustrations and paintings depicting astronauts, spacecraft, and pivotal moments in space history.

Paul Calle's involvement in the Apollo 11 mission also extended to designing a postage stamp. In 1969, he was commissioned by the United States Postal Service to create a stamp commemorating the first moon landing. Calle's design depicted an astronaut's boot on the lunar surface with Earth in the background. The stamp, known as the "First Man on the Moon" stamp, was released on September 9, 1969, and became one of the most iconic and widely recognized postage stamps in American history.

Chris Calle:

Christopher "Chris" Calle is an American artist known for his contributions to space art. Born in 1961, Calle grew up surrounded by the artistic influence of his father, Paul Calle.

He has collaborated with NASA, creating artwork for various missions and events, including the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the Apollo moon landing. His art often depicts astronauts, spacecraft, and cosmic landscapes. has also illustrated for book covers, magazines, and other publications.

Artifact: ISS thermal protection blanket swatch on trading card
Dimensions: 6.4 x 8.9. (fragment: 2 x 0.9 cm).
Flown Status: unflown.

Description:

ISS thermal protection blanket on trading card presentation.

The ISS insulation is a highly-reflective blanket called Multi-Layer Insulation (or MLI) made of Mylar and dacron.

The reflective silver mesh is aluminized Mylar. The copper-colored material is kapton, a heavier layer that protects the sheets of fragile Mylar, which are usually only 0.3 mil or 3/10000 of an inch thick. Layers of dacron fabric keep the Mylar sheets separated, which prevents heat from being conducted between layers," he continued. This ensures radiation will be the most dominant heat transfer method through the blanket.

More information:

NASA - Staying cool on the ISS

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.

Item: Apollo 11 VIP Launch Access Badge

Size: 7.6 x 12.6 cm

Description: VIP Access badge used during the launch of Apollo 11. It comes with the plastic holder and clip. The blue badges were for the VIP guests and the gray badges were for the general public. This one is #6322.

President Lyndon B. Johnson during the launch of Apollo 11.

Members of the public with their VIP access badges.

Image taken from Apollo 11, a documentary by Douglas Miller.

Item: Apollo 10 launch photo signed by Glynn Lunney

Size: 25.4 x 20.2 cms.

Description: Signed by flgith director Glynn Lunney. Inscription says: "Apollo 10 did everything except land - A great mission and crew. Best of luck - Glynn S. Lunney Apollo Flight Director". NASA original picture KSC-69P-339.

Artifact: "The Steel Albatross", signed by Scott Carpenter
Author: Edwin Scott Carpenter.
Publisher: Pocket Books.
Date: 1991.
Dimensions: 17.17 x 10.72 x 2.87 cm.
Weight: 677 gr.

Pages: 371.

Description:

Novel written by Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter and signed by him. Synopsis: When uncompromising factions within the Soviet Union construct an undersea power facility capable of incapacitating U.S. defense systems, Rick Tallman, a Navy pilot marred by scandal, is entrusted with the leadership of the Albatross, a stealthy submarine, with the mission of obliterating the system.

Artifact: Arthur D. Little's cutaway view of multilayer insulation for use in space.
Dimensions: 43.4 x 28 cm.

Description:
This is a folder with insulation material for use in space from Little's personal collection that had been gifted to French space journalist Jacques Tiziou while on a visit to Little's company.

The astronauts' suits are made up of four layers of Dacron interwoven with five layers of Mylar intended to protect against heat. During the Gemini mission, a braided mesh composed of a mixture of Dacron and Teflon prevents the suit from inflating too much and allows the cosmonaut great freedom of movement while keeping everything pressurized during extravehicular activity (EVA).

Arthur D. Little worked on the development of the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LRRR) experiment for the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. The original objective of the LRRR was to obtain precise earth-moon distances.

In addition to working on the LRRR, Arthur D. Little also partnered with NASA in the 1960’s to work on the ‘Heat Flow Experiment’ which measured temperature gradients on lunar surfaces as a function of time and soil thermal conductivity; and helped develop innovations for astronaut protection including durable lubricant and insulation for space suits and anti-meteoroid bumpers on space probes.

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.