Apollo Program Bundle
Apollo Program Bundle
Mini Museum's complete Apollo Program Bundle, at an exclusive discount! Explore three incredible missions to outer space with the Apollo 11, Apollo 13, and Apollo 14 Moon Tree specimens!
The Apollo Program was an incredible effort only possible through the incredible teamwork of NASA's engineers and astronauts. The culmination was the touchdown of the Apollo 11 Mission carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as the first two humans to set foot on the surface of the Moon.
This bundle includes the Apollo 11 Command Module Foil, Apollo 13 Command Module Foil, and Apollo 14 Moon Tree specimens for a discounted price. Each specimen ships in its very own glass-topped riker display case and includes authenticity and mission information. More details on individual specimens can be found below.
Above: Photography from the Apollo 11, 13, and 14 missions (Source: NASA).
The Apollo program was conceived during President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration and later dedicated to President John F. Kennedy's goal of "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth" within a decade.
President Kennedy proposed this bold agenda during an address to the United States Congress on May 25, 1961. On July 20, 1969, NASA fulfilled the mission when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon.
Piloted by astronaut Michael Collins, Command Module Columbia orbited the Moon while fellow astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin explored the surface. The craft carried all three astronauts safely back to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969.
The technological and scientific breakthroughs associated with the Apollo Program were vast and long-lasting, but it is the human achievement that has held our imaginations for so many years.
LAUNCH: July 16, 1969 - LUNAR LANDING: July 20, 1969 - SPLASHDOWN: July 24, 1969 - TOTAL DISTANCE: 953,054 Miles
APOLLO 11
This specimen is a fragment of mission-flown kapton foil, which provided thermal protection for the astronauts aboard the Apollo 11 Command Module.
Acquired at auction, this material comes from the personal collection of retired NASA Production Control Engineer William R. Whipkey. Among space collectors, Whipkey is considered the most reliable source for Kapton foil because he oversaw the decommissioning of the Command Modules from multiple missions. He was also responsible for making most of the commemorative displays for astronauts, VIPs, and others who worked on the Apollo Program.
📸 "Houston, we've had a problem." ~ Apollo 13 Mission Commander James A. Lovell, Jr.
Apollo 13
Launched on April 11, 1970, Apollo 13 was set to be the third mission to land men on the Moon and return them safely to the Earth. However, nearly 56 hours into the flight (055:54:53 GET) Oxygen Tank No. 2 exploded due to a fault in the Service Module’s electrical system. Oxygen Tank No. 1 was also damaged, and as the pressure dropped, a mission of discovery became a struggle for survival 205,000 miles (330,000 km) from Earth.
By design, the two-person Lunar Module had a 45-hour lifetime. In order to make the return with three people, they had to triple that limit, working with the Mission Operations team to make modifications to a craft never designed for open spaceflight and improvising solutions for a host of interrelated problems. Despite the immense challenges, the crew persevered, splashing down safely in the South Pacific on April 17, 1970.
Today, the return journey of Apollo 13 is regarded as the “successful failure,” a tribute to the courage and professionalism of astronauts, engineers, and the entire support team.
This specimen, like the Apollo 11 specimen, is a fragment of mission-flown Kapton foil, which provided thermal protection for the astronauts aboard the Apollo 13 Command Module.
"We sure picked a clear day to arrive - you can see all the way to the horizon."~ Stuart Roosa, Apollo 14 Command Module Pilot, upon entering lunar orbit
Apollo 14
On January 31, 1971, Apollo 14 carried three astronauts to the Moon along with hundreds of tree seeds. Upon return, the U.S. Forest Service successfully germinated a small number of seeds and dispersed the saplings during the bicentennial celebrations of 1975 and 1976.
This specimen comes from a surviving moon tree: a Sycamore living on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. In 2014, The tree was damaged in a storm and a fallen limb was preserved by Senior Research Specialist and White House Champion for Change, Dolores Hill.
🌟 BUNDLE AND SAVE!
THE ULTIMATE APOLLO PROGRAM COLLECTOR'S BUNDLE
Each specimen arrives in an individual, glass-topped riker display case, a large 5 1/2" x 6 1/2" case for the two foil specimens and a 4 1/2" x 3 1/2" case for the Moon Tree specimen. Each includes authenticity information and the Apollo 11 & 13 specimens also come with a folding information card with photos & research on the missions. This bundle is our complete Apollo Program collection and includes some of our greatest displays. We're proud to offer keepsakes from these amazing missions in spaceflight history!
