Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
(800) 937-3880
SELL

Lot #398
Apollo 11 Kapton Foil

This lot has closed

Estimate: $200+
Sell a Similar Item?
Share:  

Description

Large 4.75 x 5.5 swatch of Kapton foil removed from the descent stage of the Lunar Module Eagle mere days before the historic launch of the Apollo 11 mission, signed in black felt tip, “Apollo XI, LM 5, Lee Brandt, Grumman.” Also includes a color satin-finish 10 x 8 photo of a lunar module, signed in silver ink, “Apollo XI, ‘Eagle,’ Lee Brandt, LM-5 by Grumman.” In overall fine condition.

Accompanied by a letter of provenance from Lee R. Brandt, the lead technician of Propulsion and Environmental controls for Grumman's lunar module support team at the Kennedy Space Center, who notes: "At the end of June, 1969, during the Countdown Demonstration Test…I was asked to do an emergency squib valve replacement within LM-5's descent stage. At the time, Apollo 11 was staged for launch on Launch Pad 39A, and we had to enter the SLA…where the Lunar Module 'Eagle' was secure within the Saturn V rocket. As with most repairs on the 'LEM,' as we referred to it, Kapton foil insulating blankets (as much as 25 layers) had to be removed and replaced in order to gain access to the affected areas. Realizing the historical significance of Kapton foil removed from Eagle only days before its launch, I saved the sheets I removed for posterity.”

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Fine Autograph and Artifacts
  • Dates: #689 - Ended April 17, 2024