Remarkable EVA Stabilizer Strut apparently flown aboard Command Module Odyssey during the Apollo 13 mission, measuring 14.5″ in length, and wire-mounted on a 17 x 8 x 2 wooden display bearing an affixed presentation plaque: "A part of Odyssey, CSM 109, returned to North American Rockwell personnel with appreciation for a job well done from the Apollo 13 crew, James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr., Fred W. Haise." The ends of the strut bear part numbers: "SWP CO, DREMS-5-085, C68" and "V36-5715 62-2." In fine condition. On the basis of this artifact’s unique design/application and its provenance, it is likely this artifact was flown on Odyssey.
During outbound flight the EVA strut remained stowed below the right side of the Apollo CM crew couch, positioned underneath Lunar Module Pilot Haise. In preparation for an Extravehicular Activity, the center couch, reserved for Commander Lovell, would then be collapsed and stowed in order to provide room and mobility for crew members to ingress/egress from the spacecraft's main hatch. The stabilizer strut would then be deployed and locked between the LM Pilot couch and the spacecraft bulkhead to provide stability to that structure as well as an effective grip point for the maneuvering astronaut. Although never utilized for EVA, this stabilizer strut from the CM Odyssey remains an impressive and unique artifact from Apollo’s most courageous mission.
