LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 October Rare Books & Manuscripts #675  / 

30668

Buzz Aldrin Apollo 11 Kapton Foil

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:200.00 USD Estimated At:400.00 - 600.00 USD
Buzz Aldrin Apollo 11 Kapton Foil
<B>Buzz Aldrin Apollo 11 Kapton Foil Certification Signed</B></I> “<I>Buzz Aldrin,</B></I>” one page, 8.5” x 11”. No date, no place. On stationery embossed with a gold and blue Apollo 11 insignia, the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot explains that “<I>The spacecraft which carried Neil and me to the Moon was known as the 'Command Module', and bore the symbolic name </B></I>Columbia<I>. To protect our fragile craft from the extreme environment of deep space, a thin layer of material known as Kapton foil, gold-colored on the front and with a silver backing, was attached to the outside skin of the </B></I>Columbia<I>. This delicate foil played a critical role by reflecting the sun's intense heat off the ship, helping us to maintain comfortable temperatures within. Because the foil was attached to the outside skin of the Columbia, its gold-colored side was directly exposed to deep space. Due to the extreme fragile nature of the foil, most of it burned off the ship during our fiery 25,000 mph re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere on July 24, 1969. However, a small portion of it survived; salvaged by the North American Rockwell Recovery Team on board the aircraft carrier </B></I>Hornet<I>, and carefully preserved for posterity…</B></I>” A very small triangular piece of Kapton foil has been affixed to this page.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Flat Material, Small (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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