Apollo 11 Command Module Pendant
Apollo 11 Command Module Pendant
This pendant, handmade here at Mini Museum, contains an actual, mission-flown fragment of Kapton foil from the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia. This material helped protect Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins on their journey from Earth to the Moon and back. Salvaged after splashdown, this is a unique collectible from one of the greatest achievements in human history.
The foil square measures 2mm x 2mm, and is set into black resin and encased with a 10mm glass cabochon top. A small amount of mica powder has been used to emulate the starry void the Command Module swam through on its trip to the Moon and back.
The Apollo 11 Command Module Pendant is an exclusive collector's item. It is a fantastic statement piece that captures an incredible achievement of humankind.
📸 A Closeup view of the Apollo 11 pendant
MISSION-FLOWN KAPTON FOIL
As noted above, this pendant contains 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.
The specimen measures approximately 2mm x 2mm and is enclosed in a glass cabochon set into a sterling silver backing for easy viewing.
The foil is set against black resin, with small amounts of mica powder to create an out-of-this-world backdrop. The entire piece is strung on an 18-inch sterling silver chain and comes packaged in a hinged black jewelry box. An informational authenticity card is also included behind the box's interior padding.
Every pendant has been handmade here at Mini Museum by our jewelry crafter and each is a unique work of art.
More material from Apollo 11 and other missions can be found in the collection below. Additional information on the Apollo program can also be found further on in this page.
📸 The Apollo 11 Command and Service Modules (CSM) as photographed from the Lunar Module (LM) in lunar orbit on July 20, 1969. The lunar surface below is in the north central Sea of Fertility. The coordinates of the center of the picture are 51 degrees east longitude and 1 degree north latitude. About half of the crater Taruntius G is visible in the lower left corner of the picture. Part of Taruntius H can be seen at lower right. (Source: NASA AS11-37-5445)
What is Kapton Foil? Is it Gold or Silver?
Kapton "foil" is aluminized polyimide film. The polyimide film is semi-transparent, so the shiny gold appearance is really light reflecting off the aluminum on the other side.
The entire surface of Columbia was coated with many layers of this foil, with the outermost layers installed aluminized side out to provide maximum reflection of radiation.
📸 The pendant in hand
As pictured, we've elected to display the material "gold" side out as it accurately depicts the way it was found on recovery.
Kapton foil was used on both the Lunar Module (LM) and the Command Module (CM). NASA Technical Note D-7564 "Apollo experience report: Thermal protection subsystem " (1974), describes the usage in this way:
"This low ratio is achieved with a pressure-sensitive Kapton polyimide tape that is coated with aluminum and oxidized silicon monoxide and that is applied over the entire external surface of the ablator. The installation of a boost protective cover over the conical portion of the CM prevents contamination of the thermal-control coating and the CM windows by aerodynamic heating during boost and by the tower jettison engine plume." (See Page 5, Fig. 4)"
Source: Acquired at auction, this particular sample 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.
LAUNCH: July 16, 1969 - LUNAR LANDING: July 20, 1969 - SPLASHDOWN: July 24, 1969 - TOTAL DISTANCE: 953,054 Miles
Apollo 11
"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." ~ Neil Armstrong
Above: Stylized image of the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia. This picture was taken on the deck of the U.S.S. Hornet after recovery of the craft on July 24, 1969. (Source: NASA S69-21294).
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 25th, 1961. On July 20, 1969, NASA fulfilled the mission when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon. This was the 11th flight of the Apollo program, and the success was broadcast live to the entire world.
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.
