Flown Apollo artifacts.

Regarded by many as the ultimate spaceflight collectible, flown artifacts from the golden age of manned spaceflight can be considered pieces of history.

It is evident that Lunar Module Pilots shared a bond as illustrated by these two items. This US flag, flown originally by Walt Cunningham on his own Apollo 7 mission was subsequently flown to lunar orbit by his Apollo 15 counterpart James Irwin.

In December 1968 this Apollo 8 embroidered patch was flown to the moon on man's first journey to another celestial body. Carried by Lunar Module Pilot William Anders and subsequently gifted to Walt Cunningham I recently had the opportunity to reacquaint Apollo 8 Command Module Pilot and all round legend Jim Lovell with a patch that had accompanied him to the moon and back.

It proved ironic, that having raced the Soviets the moon, mankind discovered the Earth with arguably the most famous photograph of all time.

I have been fortunate to meet eight of the men to have walked on the moon. Jim Lovell sadly did not get the chance following his aborted Apollo 13 mission but meeting him in October 2015 was a privilege.   

Apollo 9 (March 3-13, 1969) saw the first manned flight of both Apollo spacecraft (CSM and LM) and the first use of the Apollo A7L EVA suit in the vacuum of space.

350 Robbins Medallions were flown and crew manifests indicate “400 patches”. There is no evidence to suggest the patches were anything other than mission patches. What is known is that 3 different manufacturers produced these patches but which ones remains a mystery. Lion Brothers and AB Emblem can be ruled out judging by their contemporary versions of the Apollo 9 patch. 

Other companies produced patches for the early Apollo flights including the Stylized Emblem Co, Texas Art Embroidery and Dallas Cap & Badge. I suspect one or possibly all three manufactured the flown Apollo 9 patches but I have nothing to corroborate the theory. 

This particular patch is known at the “Crew Patch Variant”. According to the excellent website crewpatches.com, “roughly a quarter of all mission-flown embroidered patches are of this kind”… and consequently is considered rare. 

Sadly, I never had an opportunity to photograph Jim McDivitt with these artefacts. Thankfully Novaspace Galleries (aka Astronaut Central) who handled the sale of many items from Jim’s personal collection did have him sign comprehensive, illustrated letters of authenticity for both.

Of all the Robbins medallion designs Apollo X I think is the most striking and my favourite. It captures particularly well the objectives of the mission. This example was obtained directly from Skylab astronaut Ed Gibson.

And then men landed on the moon.

That's one small step for man... one giant leap for mankind." July 20th, 1969. Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot upon the moon reflected in the visor Buzz Aldrin, the second.


A single page from Buzz's flown Apollo 11 Flight Plan. The Flight Plan provided each of the crewmen with a detailed list of activities and a corresponding time frame for every event from launch to splashdown. From eating to sleeping, trans lunar burns or docking manoeuvres: actions both mundane and mission critical were covered and the crew would often add notations, updates or calculations to the Flight Plan as the mission unfolded.

Historically one of the most significant documents ever published even un-flown complete Apollo 11 Flight Plans can command thousands of dollars at auction.


I was fortunate to spend a couple of days in the comapny of Apollo 12 Command Module Pilot Dick Gordon when he visited Pontefract, West Yorkshire in 2011. There could not have been a nicer, more affable man in the astronaut corp. While this flag accompanied his crewmates and best friends to the lunar surface Dick missed his opportunity to match the feat when, as Commander of Apollo 18 his flight was cancelled by the Nixon administration.


As Apollo 12 Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean travelled with this flag to the lunar surface. While attending an Autographica show he was kind and gracious enough to attest to that fact on the flag itself.

The flag was stored aboard the Apollo 12 Lunar Module "Intrepid"... nestled peacefully on the lunar horizon.

I had the pleasure of meeting Fred Haise in October 2008, whilst he was on a school speaking trip to Pontefract, West Yorkshire. A finer...more modest gentleman you could not hope to meet!

Recent research would suggest, that contrary to popular belief very few "Snoopy pins" were actually flown during the Apollo program: perhaps fewer than 100. Of those, Fred Haise flew 30 according to his Personal Preference Kit (PPK) records: more than any other Apollo mission. The infamous Apollo 13 explosion that almost cost Fred his life makes this flown pin especially significant.

Betacloth mission patches stored aboard Apollo 14 Command Module "Kitty Hawk"were flown in sealed packs numbering 25 per pack: 20 packs in total. When the time came to share the flown mission emblems amongst the crew Dr Mitchell explained that his crew mates took just 5 packs each leaving him with 10 packs or 250 individual betacloths. This is one of them.

Apollo 14 Command Module "Kitty Hawk" currently on display at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

A number of the astronaut corp were famed for their practical jokes or "Gotchas". The "Beep Beep" Apollo 14 back-up crew patch being arguably the most famous. Secreted throughout both spacecraft by the score, even making it onto the modularized cart used to traverse the lunar surface, the patches would float out of every compartment, locker or check-list. 

The crew of Apollo 14 took the prank in good spirits.....initially. The joke eventually wore thin but then the best "Gotchas" often do. The look on Gene Cernan's face, taken with Apollo 14 Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell and another of the flown "Beep Beep" patches speaks volumes! This photo, taken at an astronaut event in San Antonio Texas in 2006 is used with the kind permission of  the photographer.

The final 3 missions.

This Cover is number 140 of 398 covers that were flown to the Lunar Surface on Apollo 15. Originally 100 covers were requested to be flown to the Moon by H. Walter Eiermann who was acting on behalf of German Stamp dealer, Hermann Sieger. The crew agreed in return for a trust fund of $7000 being set up for each Astronaut in a Swiss Bank Account. The crew also wanted to carry a further 300 covers for themselves, but 2 were destroyed before the flight, making the total number of covers flown 398.

The covers were not listed in the Crews preference kits, but instead carried in the pocket of Dave Scott's space suit onto the spacecraft, where they were then placed in the LM. Once back from the moon and while on the USS Okinawa the crew added the stamps and had the covers cancelled and date stamped at the on-board ship's post office, they then signed the covers on the flight from Hawaii back to Houston. 

Of the total 398 covers, 100 were sent to Hermann Sieger and the remaining 298 were kept by the Apollo 15 Crew. It had been agreed that no covers be sold until after the completion of the Apollo program, but Sieger started selling his 100 covers almost immediately at $1,500 each. When the crew heard about the sale, they tried to retrieve the covers from Sieger, but were unsuccessful and so tried to save their reputations by returning the $7,000. However, a Congressional investigation wanted to make an example of the Astronauts and so NASA had no choice but to suspend them from flight status. NASA also confiscated the 298 covers. 

In 1983 Al Worden successfully had the 298 covers returned to the crew after suing the United States federal government when similar covers were to be flown on the Space Shuttle. It is thought that had the crew declared the covers in the first place then there would have been no problem.

This cover is one of the 298 that belonged to the crew and comes with a certified letter of provenance which they supplied with each cover hand signed by each crew member. 

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This cover came from Dave Scott's collection and comes with a card insert signed by Scott 

This UK flag was flown to lunar orbit aboard Apollo 15 Command and Service Module "Endeavour" in July/August 1971. I recall as a spotty youth recording the 3 surface EVAs to a large reel to reel tape machine all the while imploring my parents to "shush". To this day the talking..... and the "shushing" can clearly be heard.

In 1974, on a private visit to the UK fellow Apollo 15 astronaut James B. Irwin presented Prime Minister Harold Wilson and "the people of the United Kingdom" with an identical flag. Jim had carried the flag to the moon in his own Personal Preference Kit.

This Apollo 16 betacloth was the first surface flown artifact I acquired more than 10 years ago. In October 2012 I was afforded an opportunity to reacquaint Charlie with the mission emblem that meant so much to him.

Charlie was kind enough to illustrate the location of the beta cloth patch for the duration of his stay on the moon.

Autographica 2007 was I believe the first time Gene Cernan had seen one of his Challenger flown navigational charts framed and beautifully presented courtesy of Novaspace Galleries. He was so impressed he spent the next 10 minutes showing it to his assistant and explaining the various features, numbers and notations.

Gene Cernan. The last man to walk on the moon, in a classic image from Apollo 17, December 1972.

Fallen Astronaut.

In April 1972, during CBS Apollo 16 launch coverage, sculptor Paul van Hoeydonck confirmed to Walter Cronkite that he was the artist responsible for the memorial sculpture known as the ”Fallen Astronaut”.

Placed on the lunar surface nine months previous, the crew of Apollo 15 had insisted that the name of the artist remain a secret until the conclusion of the Apollo program the following year.

Following the revelation and in an attempt to boost the fortunes of the struggling Waddell Gallery in New York, owner Dick Waddell… in conjunction with van Hoeydonck, decided to offer a signed limited edition series of 950 “Fallen Astronaut” replicas to collectors at $750 each… with the intention of creating a second, cheaper series.

This was contrary to Apollo 15 Commander Dave Scott’s understanding of his “gentleman’s agreement” with the artist  - that there was to be no commercialisation of the piece. That however was not Paul van Hoeydonck’s recollection and the planned production of the limited edition continued until the artist put an end to the project following pressure from the US State Dept.

Van Hoeydonck returned to Europe where 51 replicas were made, all of which the artist can account for.

Then in April 2015, a replica purporting to be one of the limited edition was offered for sale on ebay. Numbered 200/950 the figure was offered for sale by the grandson of the late James T.Phillips Jr – a senior investment banker for J.P. Morgan based in New York and a collector of space artefacts and works of art. Mr Phillips had the means, the motive and the opportunity to make such a purchase.

Compelling evidence supporting its authenticity included a receipt of purchase from the Waddell Gallery and an accompanying certificate of authenticity signed by the artist Paul van Hoeydonck.

This find poses many questions not least how many of the planned replicas, if any were actually made and of those, how many were sold?  Sadly, gallery owner Dick Waddell passed away in 1974 aged just 50. Depression, divorce and financial worries had taken their toll.

Perhaps Dick Waddell had sold some privately in an attempt to alleviate his personal demons? Correspondence with the manufacturer has drawn a blank. Neither Bruce Gitlin nor Milgo/Bufkin were willing to tell me anything about the project though I later learned that they are are contractually obliged to share information with the artist alone.

When questioned about the replica figure exhibited by the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C,  the museum confirmed … “Stamped into the back of the head are the marks "c 1971." Marks that match all known authorised replicas… and this ebay find.

When this eBay Fallen Astronaut find appeared in 2015, I sent details including close up photos to the artist Paul van Hoeydonck. His initial response was that the piece was fake. Not surprising really when one considers the unauthorized duplicates and copies that have cropped up over the years. But there must have been something about this item that warranted further scrutiny as Paul and his partner then began an investigation in to the piece.

Three years passed and following intensive research the artist has come back to me (via his wife Marleen) with some very interesting news. The figure is indeed an original.

“I’m happy to let you know that the replica you bought seems to be an exact replica from the Fallen Astronaut…. but to be 100% certain we would need to see the piece in person”

The box and the aluminium COA affixed inside the lid and signed by Paul van Hoeydonck are authentic too. Produced by the Waddell Gallery "The box and the certificate were meant to be for the multiples." A note from Dick Waddell located in van Hoeydonck's archive indicates that he wanted Paul to "sign the certificates starting with your number (200)". Why the number 200 is not known for certain but it is believed to have been for marketing purposes.

Van Hoeydonck also confirmed that the Waddell Gallery sold at least one of the figures. "The gallery had already an order. They sold one of the models. So you seem to have one of the models." So naturally I asked the artists if I could bring the figure to his home in the outskirts of Antwerp in Belgium for verification and he graciously agreed.

van Hoeydonck told me that 5 of the figures encased in blue perspex were made and sent to Apollo 15 commander Dave Scott. All 5 were to be carried to the moon: one to be placed on the lunar surface and the others shared with the crew and the artist.

But concerns over weight and fire safety meant none could be flown.... so a late call was made for an alternate.

Records show that 4 or 5 "naked" prototypes were made (by the Milgo Bufkin Company) ahead of the mission one of which eventually made it to the lunar surface. It could so easily have been this piece!!

Marleen van Hoeydonck showed me the only known - complete piece intended for the limited edition of 950. Most likely to see what the finished article looked like ahead of full production. Numbered 624/950, this piece is in van Hoeydonck's possession. 

I would like to thank Paul and Marleen van Hoeydonck for the time, their kindness and generosity of spirit for which I will be forever grateful.

In the summer of 2021 I had the opportunity to show the sculpture on The Antiques Roadshow recorded at Aston Hall, Birmingham. After contacting the BBC to share the story, the producers were very keen to feature the sculpture. It was evident both before and during the recording that the expert Paul Atterbury had clearly done his homework ahead of the encounter and was excited to see the item

Skylab and beyond.

Alan Bean proudly displays the US flag that traveled with all three crews for the duration of the manned Skylab program.

A piece of Skylab debris recovered from Esperance Shire, Western Australia. With help from NASA, Australian authorities were able to eastablish that this piece was cut from a lightweight structural beam the rest of which....

... was gifted to the National Geographic Society in Washington D.C.

Skylab II Pilot Jack Lousma was kind enough to certify the debris sample at a Space Lectures event in Pontefract, West Yorkshire in October 2019.

This flown embroidered patch was carried on the historic joint US-Soviet ASTP mission in 1975 by Commander Tom Stafford.

Tom then gifted the patch to his close friend and Apollo 10 crew mate Gene Cernan and it remained in his possession until I purchased the piece at a Novaspace Gene Cernan "Garage Sale".

This US flag was flown aboard the test shuttle orbiter "Enterprise" on one of her many drop tests in the late 1970s. Fred was the commander on one such flight and he was happy to pose with this "Approach and Landing Special Award" typically given to NASA employees in recognition of their contribution to the flight test program.

The launch of STS-1. The first space bound shuttle flown by Commander John Young and pilot Robert Crippen. The beginning of a new chapter in maned space exploration.  

 


















Commemorative US flag, flown aboard the first space shuttle mission - STS-1


On the face of it two shuttle thermal protection tiles. The tile with the "VT" number is I believe a test or engineering tile. The other, with the "VO" number, was likely attached and possibly flown on an orbiter. Remnants of the red silicone caulk adhesive used to attach the tile to the orbiter are still evident.

These silica tiles are used extensively on each orbiter providing effective yet light weight protection for the delicate aluminium skin of the vehicle.

Advanced Flexible Reusable Surface Insulation (AFRSI) blankets were developed after the orbiter Columbia was built. AFRSI blankets consist of sewn composite quilted fabric insulation that is sandwiched between two layers of white fabric that are sewn together to essentially form a quilted blanket. This piece was a sample provided to media in the Cape Canaveral area.

AFRSI blankets were used extensively on the orbiter upper surfaces.

This display is a commercially produced piece using Thermal Protection material, flown in shuttle Columbia's payload bay on one or more ocassions between 1981 and 1986.

NASA, in support of bringing the Olympics to Houston — home of Mission Control and the U.S. astronaut corps — launched aboard Atlantis 1,000 lapel pins for the Houston 2012 Foundation.  The eventual winner of the Olympic bid for 2012 was London.